Police Minister Paul Toole’s brother, Joshua, one of four charged over drug syndicate
The brother of Police Minister Paul Toole allegedly directed a sophisticated criminal group that used an encrypted app and three “dead drop” locations to supply large amounts of ice.
Newcastle
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Detectives at the helm of a six-month, undercover operation targeting the alleged supply of methamphetamine across the Lake Macquarie and Newcastle areas will allege the 38-year-old brother of NSW Police Minister Paul Toole — Joshua — was the director of the sophisticated criminal group.
Strike Force Great detectives will allege in court Joshua Toole — who went by the username “Smiles” — directed a group that used an encrypted mobile phone application to co-ordinate the supply of drugs and collection of cash from three known “dead drops”.
Detectives will allege Joshua Toole directed two other men, along with the pregnant partner of one of them, to facilitate the supply of methamphetamine to undercover operatives in quantities of 140g, or five ounces, at a time in exchange for cash amounts ranging from $30,000-$32,500.
According to court documents Strike Force officers allegedly began intercepting phone calls and tracking their activities from March 2022.
It will be alleged Joshua Toole oversaw and co-ordinated a chat group on the encrypted app in which he directed David Bui, 41, of Wadalba and Peter Charles Ninnes, 43, of Belmont North, to supply ‘ice’ at three drop locations.
Police will allege in court one of the locations was Mr Bui’s rented address at Sirocco Drive, Wadalba, he shared with his pregnant partner Tahley Anne Partland, 24.
Detectives allege Mr Bui, a forklift driver, went by the username “Spiderman” and arranged on several occasions to leave five-ounce quantities of ice in a black pot at the front of his house for an undercover operative to collect.
The undercover operative would collect the drugs, allegedly secreted in a disposable glove inside a shopping bag, and leave the agreed amount of cash in the same black pot.
Mr Bui was charged with 10 offences including seven counts of supplying prohibited drugs, dealing with the proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal group.
Police allegedly seized $120,000 cash from the Sirocco Drive address during a raid on Wednesday.
Mr Bui’s pregnant partner Ms Partland was also charged with knowingly taking part in the supply of drugs and participating in a criminal group.
Strike force detectives will allege Ms Partland was seen during surveillance operations to open the front door of the Sirocco Drive address, collect the cash placed in the black pot outside and return inside.
EARLIER FROM THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13
The brother of NSW Police Minister Paul Toole will stay behind bars for at least another week following his arrest over his alleged involvement in a large drug supply syndicate.
Joshua Toole, 38, was not required to appear at Newcastle Local Court on Thursday but his solicitor Steven Mercael said his client would not be making an application for bail.
Instead, he’ll make a bid for bail next week when it’s transferred to Belmont Local Court Friday. His matters were adjourned until December.
Toole was one of a group of four nabbed by Strike Force Great detectives in Newcastle and the Central Coast on Wednesday, following a six-month investigation into the supply of meth across the regions.
Toole has been charged with supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, relating to almost two kilograms of meth from his home in Belmont North, according to court documents.
He was also charged with knowingly direct activities of a criminal group, participating in a criminal group contributing to criminal activity, and five counts of supplying prohibited drugs on an ongoing basis.
The minister’s brother and 24-year-old Tahley Anne Partland were arrested in a vehicle stop at Killarney Vale at about 9am by the drug and firearms squad.
Ms Partland was charged with taking part in a the supply of a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug and participating in a criminal group.
She was granted bail to face Wyong Local Court on Thursday where she appeared briefly before a court registrar and was adjourned to December 6.
Investigators raided several homes in Belmont North, Nords Wharf and Wadalba where they uncovered two kilograms of meth - with an estimated potential street value of $2 million - more than $200,000 in cash, a gel-blaster, electronic devices and other items.
At around the same time, Peter Charles Ninnes, 43, was arrested at a Belmont North home, and spent the night at Belmont Police Station, while David Bui was taken into custody at a workplace in Wyong before being taken to Wyong Police Station.
They were both charged with a string of drug offences relating to the investigation.
Ninnes did not appear at Newcastle Local Court on Thursday and his solicitor James Janke told the court there would be no application for his release, but confirmed there would be a bid for bail into the future.
His matters were adjourned until December 7 and also transferred to Belmont Local Court.
Mr Bui, 41, of Wadalba, was refused bail to appear at Wyong Local Court on Thursday where his Legal Aid solicitor did not apply for bail and it was formally refused.
He was not required to appear in court and was adjourned to December 6.
The Deputy Premier told The Daily Telegraph he was “devastated” by the news of his brother’s arrest, which comes just days after another sibling was put behind bars on unrelated charges.
“But we are not the first family to have to deal with this and unfortunately and we won’t be the last,” Paul Toole said on Wednesday.
“No one is above the law.”
It caps off a tough period for the Toole family after his younger brother Kurt Toole pleaded guilty to drug supply and affray charges last week.
The 32-year-old faced Bathurst Local Court where he was told a custodial term was inevitable, before being put behind bars ahead of a return for formal sentencing at a later date.
Kurt has previously served a sentence of seven years imprisonment for his role in a major drug syndicate that supplied cannabis and methamphetamine around the Newcastle area, and was out on parole at the time of the offences he has now pleaded guilty to.
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