Alaa Allam, Brooke Bostanci, Mohammad Baddah: Alleged dial-a-dealer syndicate dismantled

The inner workings of a ‘sophisticated’ dial-a-dealer syndicate have been laid bare after three of its members faced court. Police say one of the accused dealers allegedly tried to swallow resealable bags on his arrest.

A “highly sophisticated” dial-a-dealer syndicate, which police claim made deals all over Sydney during strict Covid lockdown, has been dismantled following the dramatic arrests of three of its alleged members.

When approached by Strike Force Northrop investigators while sitting in a car at The Rocks on Wednesday night, one of the group’s alleged directors Alaa Allam is said to have accelerated into a parked police car before attempting to swallow a number of small resealable bags.

The five baggies believed to contain cocaine were soon recovered and seized and Allam, 26, of Bankstown, was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital for treatment.

Allam allegedly accelerated into a parked police vehicle on arrest. Picture: NSW Police

Over the next day, other alleged members of the drug group including Mohammad Baddah, 24, also said to be a “director”, and Brooke Bostanci, 23, an alleged drug runner, were also arrested.

Search warrants at homes at Bankstown and Greenacre revealed nearly 430g of cocaine with an estimated potential street value of $127,500, as well as $98,000 cash.

Allam was later released from hospital and appeared at Central Local Court on Friday where he was granted strict conditional bail in front of a number of supporters.

In Allam’s bail hearing, a prosecutor alleged police had text messages and physical surveillance which suggested Allam had supplied 571 bags of 0.7g of cocaine on 247 occasions.

Two men and a woman have been arrested over an alleged dial-a-dealer syndicate. Picture: NSW Police

This amounted to about 400g of cocaine, which is considered a commercial quantity.

But Allam’s lawyer Greg James QC argued these supplies were carried out both separately and jointly with other members of the group.

He said Allam and co-accused Baddah allegedly both did “some dispatching” and some drug running, while Bostanci mostly acted as a drug runner.

Mr James said on the evidence his client acted as nothing more than a “telephone operator and runner” and called it a “very small-scale operation”.

Allam claimed he had “panicked” when he “drove away” from police on the night of his arrest.

One of the members of the drug syndicate arrested by police. Picture: NSW Police

Also on Friday for a separate bail application, Sutherland Local Court heard the youngest member of the group Ms Bostanci allegedly acted as a “main runner” for what was termed a “highly sophisticated drug supply syndicate”.

Police will allege Bostanci made up to 83 of more than 570 alleged cocaine deals as part of a dial-a-dealer syndicate involving multiple organisers and runners.

Solicitor Zak Hajjar told the court the police facts – which allege the syndicate had a system of allocated shifts on certain days for certain drug runners – relied solely on one drug deal customer’s assessment Bostanci was the woman with black hair that supplied them with cocaine on a particular day.

Cash seized during Strike Force Northrop’s investigation. Picture: NSW Police

“On these facts my client would be at the bottom of the food chain, and the two co-accused named would be the head of the snake, so to speak,” Mr Hajjar said.

Magistrate Philip Stewart said he could only describe the prosecution case against Bostanci as “overwhelming”.

“I can only conclude it’s a highly sophisticated drug supply syndicate where the defendant is a street level supplier but heavily involved in the matter,” Mr Stewart said.

“There is evidence in relation to encrypted messages, police have accessed the messages being sent, and phones being set up in false names.”

Drugs seized during Strike Force Northrop’s investigation. Picture: NSW Police

Bostanci was granted strict conditional bail akin to house arrest.

She has been charged with supplying prohibited drugs on an ongoing basis and participating in a criminal group contributing to criminal activity and the matter will return to Bankstown Local Court on November 26.

Allam is charged with supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, dealing with the property proceeds of crime, knowingly directing the activities of a criminal group and knowingly driving vehicle in a manner that menaces others, and will return to court on February 11 for brief service.

The third co-accused Baddah, 24, of Greenacre, was charged with supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, dealing with the proceeds of crime and knowingly direct activities of a criminal group.

He was formally refused bail to reappear at Bankstown Local Court on Thursday and will return to court on January 20.