Peter Zwar, charged with large commercial drug trafficking and manufacturing after AN0M raids, wins bail
A Norwood junior basketball coach arrested during AN0M raids allegedly made and sold huge amounts of drugs – including to another syndicate, a court has heard.
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A Burnside father-of-three and junior basketball coach allegedly at the “apex” of a drug syndicate orchestrated sales and deliveries of hundreds of kilos of drug – including to other syndicates, a court has heard.
An alumni of one of the state’s top private schools, Peter Lyall Zwar, 41, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday where he was granted strict home detention bail after being arrested during AN0M raids last month.
During Mr Zwar’s application for bail, the court heard he was allegedly involved in the sale of 190kg of cannabis at a “wholesale” level – while some sales were to other drug syndicates.
It is also alleged Mr Zwar was involved in the creation of more than 40L of GHB – known as fantasy – and more than 40 ounces of cocaine.
The court heard Mr Zwar himself had a longstanding addiction to cocaine.
Mr Zwar is charged with 17 counts of trafficking in a large commercial quantity and multiple other counts of manufacturing and trafficking drugs, and a single count of money laundering.
He is yet to enter any pleas.
Court has previously heard allegations Mr Zwar, a Norwood Basketball Club junior coach, “sat at the apex” of one of two AN0M drug syndicates.
His co-accused Pasquale Lagana, 33, of Seaton, is facing 15 charges of trafficking in commercial and large commercial quantities of controlled drugs.
Alongside Mr Zwar and Mr Lagana was Simon Merendi, who prosecutors allege was hired four years ago by the two men – and another whose identity is suppressed – to produce the drug GHB for them. He is yet to enters pleas to seven counts of trafficking in a controlled drug.
“Mr Zwar and Mr Lagana operated a business trafficking in controlled drugs together, with Mr Zwar often acting as the broker of deals between them and other suppliers,” prosecutor Andrew Wilson told court during an earlier hearing.
“Mr Zwar engaged Mr Merendi to manufacture GHB for them to sell to their customer base, two of whom operated a separate drug-trafficking business in SA.”
On Thursday, the court heard Mr Zwar was “very hardworking man” from a middle-class family and had three siblings.
The court heard Mr Zwar was a boarder at Immanuel College during his schooling, which charges more than $50,000 per year as school tuition and boarding fees.
Defence counsel submitted Mr Zwar was heavily supported by his parents, sister and brother-in-law – who were ordered to provide a $20,000 cash surety upon his release on bail.
Mr Zwar was released on home detention bail under strict conditions – including that he possess only a single mobile phone and provide it to police when asked.
He will return to court in February next year.
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Originally published as Peter Zwar, charged with large commercial drug trafficking and manufacturing after AN0M raids, wins bail
