Moment undercover police swoop on alleged Sydney cocaine dealers | Photos

The Daily Telegraph was alongside police on the streets of Sydney as they arrested alleged drug dealers and buyers as part of a crackdown on the city’s rampant cocaine addiction.

It is just after 6pm when David Forward gets into a Lexus hatchback being driven by Charles Percival.

After a few beers with friends, Forward, 55, has allegedly decided to ramp up his night and texted a request for two bags of cocaine.

But instead of going to the next level, Forward’s night comes to a screeching halt as he gets out of Percival’s car and is arrested by undercover officers from Operation Northrop who have been watching him.

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Moments later police pull Percival over, and now both the alleged buyer and supplier are under arrest at opposite ends of Phillip St.

The Daily Telegraph watches on as police search Percival’s car and appear to find a secret compartment, in which they allege 25 bags of cocaine and $2360 cash was hidden. The covert police operation was witness first hand by Powder Keg, a groundbreaking investigation into the nation’s cocaine fixation.

Charles Samuel Percival sits handcuffed on the kerb near Martin Place after being arrested by officers from NSW Police Operation Northrop. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Percival (left), 24, is led away by Detective Sergeant Matthew Crematy after allegedly being caught with 25 bags of cocaine and $2360 in cash. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Percival is charged with four counts of supplying a prohibited drug and dealing with the proceeds of crime, and after a night at Day Street Police Station is bailed the next day.

At the other end of the street, Forward is charged with drug possession and allowed to leave, but must appear in court on June 30.

Senior Constable Simon Pollack searches a hidden cavity in Percival’s car where police allegedly found 21 bags of cocaine, in addition to the four the driver admitted to. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Police allege moments earlier, Samuel Donald Lawson, 20, walked out of a CBD establishment and up to an unmarked police car, before asking the officers inside: “Are you guys here with my bags?”

Just minutes after police turned the teen away, dealer Jake Joshua Buttigieg arrived in his Hyundai i30 and picked him up.

Moments later both he and Lawson were arrested.

Police alleged they found 1.2g of cocaine in Buttigieg’s underwear and $5150 cash inside his vehicle.

During the night The Daily Telegraph was out with Operation Northrop, a total of $12,130 cash and 38g of cocaine – with a street value of nearly $21,000 – was seized. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Jake Joshua Buttigieg (left) was allegedly found in possession of 1.2g of cocaine concealed in his underwear and $5150 in cash. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Buttigieg, 18, was charged with supply prohibited drug, possessing a prohibited drug and dealing with property proceeds of crime, and he faced Downing Centre Local Court on May 26 where he pleaded guilty to all three charges. He will next face court on June 16.

Lawson was charged with possessing cocaine and will face court on June 16.

At Caringbah, in southern Sydney, officers arrested Shiva Reddy, 28, who had allegedly done a cocaine drop at the Caringbah Hotel.

Police allege they found 6.7g of cocaine, $1900 cash and a knife inside his Volkswagen Golf.

Reddy was charged with two counts of supply prohibited drug, deal with property believed to be the proceeds of crime and possess a knife.

After a night in custody he faced Parramatta Bail Court and returned to court on June 10.

Buttigieg (pictured) has pleaded guilty to charges of supplying a prohibited drug, possessing a prohibited drug and dealing with property proceeds of crime. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Operation Northrop was launched in 2017 to target cocaine dial-a-dealers throughout Sydney. Picture: Jonathan Ng

After beginning in the city, police move to Bondi at the heart of the cocaine-loving eastern suburbs.

Outside The Royal on Bondi Rd, one officer stands on the street watching people and cars, as two other officers sit in parked vehicles further along.

After an hour Tevita Taimani, 27, allegedly picks up his customer, before dropping him off 100m down the road.

When Taimani, a father-of-two, is pulled over, police allegedly find $2150 in cash and 14 bags of cocaine.

Watch Australia’s Cocaine Crisis this Sunday at 7.30pm on Sky News.

As a sniffer dog goes through his car, Taimani laughs with officers about breaking the news to his partner.

Someone who isn’t laughing is his customer.

“I just got a number off a mate, you know how it is,” the young man tells The Daily Telegraph.

“I got out of the car and saw the flashing lights down the road; they’d just pulled the other guy (dealer) over and a policeman walked up to me and just said: ‘Don’t be stupid’.

“We were having a couple of beers and someone gave me a number, so I was getting it for other people and now I’m the one who has got to go to court.”

Tevita Taimani, a 27-year-old father from Prospect, was allegedly found with $2000 cash in his pants. He was charged with supply prohibited drug and recklessly deal with proceeds of crime. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Detective Sergeant Matthew Crematy and Senior Constable Simon Pollack from the Redfern Region Enforcement Squad have been members of Operation Northrop since its inception. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Throughout the night, $12,300 cash and 38g of cocaine – with a street value of $21,000 – was seized.

NSW Police has been using Operation Northrop to target dial-a-dealer cocaine syndicates, where drugs are ordered with a simple text, since 2017.

Run by officers from the Redfern Region Enforcement Squad, their methods are simple and effective.

It begins with undercover officers – who spend much of the night standing on the footpath, even puffing on a vape in a bid to fit in with the drinking crowd – who notice a person on their phone.

Police lay out the bags of cocaine they allegedly found inside the car of Tevita Taimani at Bondi. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Operation Northrop officers called in the dog squad to search Taimani’s car, including the two child’s seats he had in his boot. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Since 2017, Operation Northrop has made 405 arrests, seized 4.3 kilograms of cocaine and a whopping $1.12 million cash. Picture: Jonathan Ng

When a car turns up their small team flag it over police radio and two officers in an unmarked vehicle follow.

If the passenger gets out a short time later, it’s usually a sign a deal has gone down.

“The customer is complicit in drug supply. I don’t care what their profession is, this is how we target the upper levels,” Detective Sergeant Matthew Crematy, who is leading the night’s operation, told officers at a pre-shift briefing.

Since 2017, Operation Northrop has made 405 arrests, seized 4.3kg of cocaine and a whopping $1.12m cash.

“It was a new methodology that we’d seen emerging and so we formed the Operation to combat the dial-a-dealers,” Operation Northrop head Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Bell said.

“We use this methodology to disrupt the syndicate’s client base.”
*Watch Australia’s Cocaine Crisis Sunday 7.30pm on Sky News. Click here to read The Daily Telegraph’s Powderkeg series