Zac Sweeney: Water’s Edge Cafe owner facing cocaine charges

Police will allege a restaurateur and proud father of “fur babies” was secretly behind a cocaine ring selling the drug around locked down Sydney.

One of six accused dial-a-dealers alleged to have peddled cocaine around the Sutherland Shire instead of locking down at home will attempt to be released on bail next week in a bid to get home to his “fur babies”, a court has heard.

Zac Sweeney, 29, is accused by police of being part of the group who allegedly flouted lockdown restrictions to deliver cocaine.

Sweeney recently made a major career change, leaving behind his career as a diesel mechanic to open a new cafe in Cronulla.

Zac Sweeney, 29, was arrested on Friday July 16, 2021, over his roll in an alleged dial a dealer syndicate in the Sutherland Shire.

The Caringbah man opened Water’s Edge cafe next to Cronulla Park earlier this year, shortly after he moved to the area.

Sweeney enlisted well-known Shire hospitality icon George Mikhail and his former head chef from Mr Mikhail’s former Miranda venture, Georgie Porgie’s to lead the cafe.

Weeks before his arrest, Sweeney’s partner made a loving tribute to him on his 29th birthday.

“Your (sic) such a good partner and an even better father to our fur babies,” his girlfriend wrote on social media.

Investigators have charged six men and seized cocaine, MDMA and $100,000 cash, as part of ongoing investigations into an alleged criminal syndicate coordinating a “dial-a-dealer” drug supply network.

Earlier in June his partner said Sweeney was the best thing in her life.

“I am so proud of you and what you are accomplishing every day,” she wrote.

“You make me one proud and happy woman.”

Sweeney has been charged with supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, knowingly deal with proceeds of crime, directing a criminal group and not complying with a health direction

His lawyer told Central Local Court on Tuesday his legal team was currently briefing barrister Allan Goldsworthy to run a bail application next week.

More of the items seized by police in their raids.

Magistrate Margaret Quinn adjourned Sweeney’s case to next week.

Sweeney’s co-accused, Yarrawarrah plumber Samuel Meredith, faced court for the second time on Monday.

Meredith was confronted by police on Ewos Pde in Cronulla on July 16 before officers raided three other homes in Caringbah, Merrylands and Bella Vista and arrested the five other alleged dealers.

He was subsequently charged with dealing with property proceeds of crime, greater than indictable drug supply, participating in a criminal group and not complying with Covid-19 public health directions.

Meredith’s solicitor did not make an application for his bail and Magistrate Peter Stewart at Sutherland Local Court adjourned the matter to August 2.