Southern Highlands alleged drug ring: Sarah Cassidy arrested
A Southern Highlands real estate agent has been charged after her husband was arrested over allegations he was directing a ‘staple’ drug supply operation in the region.
A builder allegedly boasted he was the “staple” drug supplier of “quality” cocaine in the Southern Highlands, with his real estate agent wife now also facing charges over her role in the syndicate.
Sarah Louise Cassidy, 24 – also known as Sarah Tarabay – has been charged with three offences in the wake of her husband Joseph Tarabay’s shock arrest over allegations he was running a drug syndicate in the Bowral area.
She was arrested on November 26 and charged with participating in drug supply, prohibited drug supply, and participating in a criminal group, weeks after her husband Joseph, his father Robert, and their associates Aaron Bastin and Jack Clarke were charged in relation to the alleged syndicate.
A document of police allegations tendered to the NSW Supreme Court has revealed extraordinary new details of the claims against the group, including that they allegedly regarded themselves as the “staple” drug suppliers of the Southern Highlands, cut their cocaine with creatine, and concealed the income as business expenses such as “laundry splashback”.
“The accused, although having no criminal history has (allegedly) been involved with a criminal group who has supplied a substantial amount of cocaine in the Southern Highlands,” a document of police allegations states.
“The accused’s (alleged) involvement has assisted this group in (allegedly) supply(ing) the substantial amount of cocaine, and although her involvement is on the minor side, it cannot be downplayed.”
During monitoring of phone calls, conversations were detected allegedly between Joseph Tarabay, Clarke and Cassidy discussing the alleged distribution of cocaine.
On one occasion, Cassidy is alleged to have directly supplied 28g of cocaine, on September 10 and Moss Vale.
At the time, Cassidy was a real estate agent for First National Real Estate Bowral, but has since been stood down on full pay while the charges remain before the court.
“We take any allegation of criminal conduct seriously but will not comment further while proceedings are ongoing,” a spokesman added.
In the document, police allege Joseph Tarabay once supplied an undercover police officer with 3oz of cocaine for $18,000 in the McDonald’s Sutton Forest car park, and discussed plans to induce a woman to conceal drugs internally for supply on a cruise.
Overall, Joseph Tarabay is alleged to have directly supplied an undercover officer with more than 540g of cocaine, for an agreed payment of $111,600, between June and September 2025.
The four men remain in custody on remand before the court, with Joseph Tarabay being refused Supreme Court bail on December 4, and Robert Tarabay set to seek bail next week.
Cassidy was granted police bail and will face Moss Vale Local Court on December 16.
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Originally published as Southern Highlands alleged drug ring: Sarah Cassidy arrested
