Narre Warren crime: Addai Warda accused of ice drug deal after Yarra Ranges bust

A $260k ice haul has been seized in a Narre Warren sting operation, led by a police plant posing as a buyer.

A two-month undercover sting operation has allegedly taken $260,000 of meth off the streets and landed a Narre Warren man before the court.

Police seized the haul in a Narre Warren North drug deal following a two-month undercover operation.

The alleged drug cook was arrested after police stumbled on a garage drug lab in Yarra Ranges and deployed an undercover agent.

The sting led to the arrest of Addai Warda, 22, who charged with one count of trafficking a large commercial quantity of methylamphetamine and appeared at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court last month to apply for bail.

The court heard the Crown plans to deny bail because of Mr Warda’s alleged ties to a sophisticated drug organisation that, police claim, could provide fake passports to flee the country before the court case is finished.

In a remand summary, previously read out in court, the Crown alleged detectives arrested Mr Warda after police planted an undercover agent in a sting operation.

According to court documents in August last year, Mooroolbark police were visited a Yarra Ranges property for a welfare check and allegedly discovered a drug lab in an unlocked garage.

A forensic team was called in and allegedly found a variety of chemicals, glassware, scientific equipment with liquid and solid methylamphetamine and other drug making paraphernalia.

It is alleged 1.4kg of a substance was seized by police and a suspect arrested.

Police then planted a covert operative into the alleged drug syndicate as a prospective buyer before the suspect was released on bail.

The undercover agent visited a Narre Warren North house with the Yarra Ranges suspect where they met Mr Warda to buy $260,000 of methylamphetamine, on November 11, 2020.

While sitting in a black Toyota Corolla Mr Warda showed the pair a rectangular package wrapped in green foil and labelled, “Green Tea”.

Court documents reveal after inspecting the crystallised substance inside the undercover officer, posing as a buyer, was told to collect the $260,000 for payment and come back later.

Mr Warda was arrested a short time later in the driveway of the Narre Warren North property and, upon seeing police, destroyed his phone.

He made no comment when interviewed by police.

Police told the court Mr Warda should not be granted bail because previously members of the same alleged criminal network had used fake passports to flee the country.

Mr Warda was refused bail and will return to the Melbourne Magistrates’ on June 2.