A man is arrested during a raid on an Illawarra home. Photo: NSW Police.
Two Illawarra men have been arrested and face major drug charges after police raided homes at Tullimbar, Yallah, Calderwood and Albion Park.
The pair were caught earlier this month during a multi-agency investigation into the manufacturing and mass supply of illicit drugs across eastern Australia.
As part of the raids, police arrested five people and seized more than $3 million worth of MDMA across the Illawarra and Tweed regions.
During the search of the Illawarra properties, police allege they located and seized over 8.7 kg of MDMA, 140 grams of cocaine, two firearms, ammunition, $64,000 in cash, a Ford Raptor, a Porsche Carrera and a pill press.
Strike Force Culti began in March 2024 when officers attached to State Crime Command’s Raptor Squad and Lake Illawarra Police District, as well as the NSW Crime Commission, Australian Border Force (ABF) and Queensland Police Service, started investigating the manufacturing and supply of MDMA across eastern Australia.
It was prompted after ABF officers in Queensland examined a number of packages that allegedly contained about 50 kg of a precursor to MDMA.
ABF investigators believe the syndicate had been importing since August 2023, and about 150 kg of the precursor have been seized since then.
Strike force officers executed 10 search warrants on 5 June on properties in Tullimbar, Yallah, Calderwood, Albion Park and Kingscliff.
On the same day, ABF investigators and Queensland police executed a search warrant on a property in Flagstone, Queensland.
During the search of the Kingscliff property, police and ABF officers allegedly located a large clandestine laboratory in the home.
Specialist police dismantled the lab, allegedly locating and seizing more than 1000 litres of precursor for MDMA and methamphetamine.
During the search of the Flagstone property, police and ABF officers allegedly located and seized several electronic devices.
The total street value of all drugs seized during the investigation is $3.1 million.
Police arrested two men during the Illawarra searches – a 35-year-old at the Albion Park property and a 34-year-old at a Tullimbar property.
Both were taken to Lake Illawarra Police Station where the 35-year-old man was charged with 10 charges relating to large-scale drug manufacture and supply.
He was also charged with:
- Two counts of dealing with property proceeds of crime/less than $100,000
- Knowingly directing activities of a criminal group
- Possessing ammunition without holding licence/permit/authority
- Failing to comply with digital evidence access order direction.
The younger man was charged with:
- Supplying a prohibited drug in large commercial quantity
- Supplying a prohibited drug indictable and commercial quantity
- Dealing with the property proceeds of crime/less than $100,000
- Participating in a criminal group contributing to criminal activity
- Failing to comply with digital evidence access order direction.
Both men were refused bail and appeared before Wollongong Local Court on Thursday (6 June), where they were formally refused bail to appear again on Wednesday 31 July.
The same day Australian Border Force officers and Queensland Police arrested an 18-year-old man and 44-year-old man in Southport.
They have both been charged with importation offences and remain before Queensland courts.
Following further investigations, police arrested a 33-year-old man at White Bay Cruise Terminal on Friday (7 June).
He was taken to Newtown Police Station where he was charged with six charges related to large-scale drug manufacture and supply, as well as charges relating to criminal activity and firearms.
He was refused bail to appear before the Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday 6 August.
Investigations under Strike Force Culti continue.
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