Strike Force Shipley: Zachariah and Ihab Obeid plead guilty to drug supply

Two south western Sydney brothers have pleaded guilty to supplying 9.22kg of cannabis and 500g of `fake cocaine’ to a man on the Central Coast.

Two brothers from south western Sydney will face Gosford District Court next month after pleading guilty to two counts of supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.

Zachariah Obeid, 27, of Yagoona, and his older brother Ihab Obeid, 31, of Sefton, pleaded guilty in Wyong Local Court where Ihab also pleaded guilty to two counts of knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime after police seized $62,500 in cash during a raid of a property at Gorokan.

Their arrests came after Tuggerah Lakes Police established Strike Force Shipley in January last year to investigate the supply of prohibited drugs and other criminal conduct across the Central Coast.

Inquiries revealed criminal activity relating to the supply of MDMA and cocaine across Sydney and the state’s north.

Zachariah Obeid (left) talking with his brother Ihab Obeid (right) and his solicitor (middle). Picture: Sue Graham

Subsequently, detectives from the State Crime Command’s Drug and Firearms Squad established Strike Force Meegan to investigate similar criminal activity being conducted out of western Sydney.

An agreed set of police facts states the brothers arranged to supply an amount of cannabis and cocaine to a co-accused man Steven Anthony Masters-Whitehouse on June 25, 2020, at Jilliby.

“One of the sticking points that emerged related to how the exchange would work,” the facts state.

After a series of telephone calls and messages in the days leading up to the exchange they agreed to do it in two stages, firstly the supply of cannabis for $72,000 and secondly the supply of cocaine for $130,000.

Zachariah Obeid at Wyong Local Court.

Ihab Obeid leaving Wyong Court.

At 10.34am Mr Masters-Whitehouse pulled into the Sparks Rd commuter car park at Jilliby where he was met by Zachariah who gave him a large striped bag from the rear of his vehicle that contained 9.22g of cannabis.

Masters-Whitehouse left and detectives pounced on Zachariah who “told police upon searching his vehicle they would find fake cocaine”, the facts state.

Meanwhile his brother Ihab stopped in a Toyota Prado on the other side of the road and looked back at Zachariah before driving to an address on Marks Rd, Gorokan.

Police seized a plastic bag from Zachariah’s vehicle which contained heat-sealed bags of white powder, which testing later revealed to be dextrose.

Officers searched the Gorokan address where they seized $62,500 in cash.

Ihab was later arrested at the address on August 11.

The Obeid’s will face District Court on November 4 to set a date to be sentenced.

Mr Masters-Whitehouse, 35, of Wadalba, was also arrested on June 25, 2020, and charged with 28 offences including unlawfully selling five firearms and supplying large commercial quantities of drugs including 278.6g of cocaine and 1kg of MDMA.

He is yet to enter any pleas and returns to Wyong Local Court on November 2.

The heat-sealed bags of dextrose. Picture: supplied

Meanwhile a fourth man was arrested on June 25 last year at a hotel at Reservoir Rd, Arndell Park.

During a subsequent search of the 33-year-old’s vehicle police allegedly seized cocaine, MDMA and $10,000 cash.

After his arrest police searched units at Blacktown and Toongabbie where they allegedly seized more than 2kg of cocaine, 12kg of MDMA, 2kg of cannabis, a loaded pistol, ammunition and a money counting machine.

They also seized $250,000 in cash which was allegedly located in a dishwasher at the Blacktown property.

He remains before the court charged with supplying large commercial quantities of prohibited drugs and weapons offences.