Four men have been charged after police investigating drug trafficking in Canberra and Queanbeyan smashed an alleged cocaine supply syndicate with links to Australia's most powerful bikie gang.
Their arrests followed a year-long investigation by strike force detectives, who intercepted phone calls and conducted surveillance before police seized drugs, guns, almost $70,000 in cash, and outlaw motorcycle gang paraphernalia during a series of searches on both sides of the NSW-ACT border on Tuesday.
Two of those arrested - Queanbeyan man Joshua Lachlan Cassie, 27, and Jerrabomberra resident Andrew Hallam, 25 - remain behind bars after facing Queanbeyan Local Court on Wednesday.
The others - Peter Robert Ellis, 33, and a 37-year-old man who will face court in October - have been granted bail.
Documents tendered in Cassie's case show Strike Force Sulfur detectives claim he and Hallam were "principals" in a cocaine supply syndicate allegedly headed by Queensland man Matthew Lawrie.
Police say Lawrie moved to that state in January but used encrypted devices to remotely run the syndicate, which is said to have procured cocaine through Comanchero bikie connections.
"The syndicate offered $3000 to transport one kilogram of cocaine from Sydney to Queanbeyan, or $6000 to transport two kilograms," NSW Police allege in court documents.
Investigators claim Lawrie, Cassie and Hallam were all responsible for procuring and distributing cocaine to customers, including street-level dealers, and for collecting money owed to the syndicate.
Upon reading documents outlining the allegations in court on Wednesday, magistrate Greg Elks said it appeared the trio were involved in "a very well thought-out supply network".
The documents detail numerous instances in which the syndicate allegedly supplied cocaine and raked in large sums of money, including $58,200 from one deal in a Jerrabomberra car park in January.
But it was not all plain sailing for the syndicate, according to police, who allege it struck trouble while conspiring to supply a commercial quantity of cocaine in April.
Detectives claim Lawrie, Cassie and Hallam tried to buy 1kg of the illicit substance, enlisting the services of a "drug runner" to deliver $360,000 to their supplier and collect the cocaine on their behalf.
"The runner provided the currency in exchange for cocaine," police say in court documents.
"However, upon receipt of the money, the upline supplier never returned with the cocaine."
This allegedly incensed Lawrie, who is said to have flown to the ACT and arranged a syndicate meeting before going, with Hallam, to meet with senior Canberra Comanchero bikies "to resolve the issue".
Police claim to have recorded Lawrie describing a desire to "hurt c----" in response to the missing drugs.
"I'll blow his f---ing legs off and leave," Lawrie said, according to court documents.
"Our money will come back, no matter what ... Someone will lose their legs over this, bro."
When police swooped on Tuesday, officers executed eight search warrants across Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra and the northern ACT suburb of Franklin.
"During the search warrants, police located and seized cocaine, steroids, testosterone, restricted prescribed substances, electronic devices, prohibited weapons including a .22 calibre firearm, a replica pistol, knuckle dusters and flick knife, as well as OMCG paraphernalia and almost $70,000 in cash," NSW Police said in a statement.
Cassie, Hallam and Ellis all spent a night in police custody before facing court, with their hands cuffed, via audio-visual link from a remote room on Wednesday.
Hallam's lawyer, Andrew Herring, told the court the 25-year-old would not apply for bail on nine charges that included conspiracy to supply a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.
Defence lawyer Anastasia Qvist sought bail for Cassie, who faces 21 drugs, weapons, proceeds of crime and criminal group charges, but Mr Elks refused the application and remanded him in custody.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Breanna McLean did not oppose the release of Ellis, who was granted bail on six charges.
Cassie, Hallam and Ellis are all due back in court on November 8.
The 37-year-old man arrested on Tuesday was granted police bail after agreeing to make his first court appearance, to answer eight charges that include prohibited drug supply, on October 10.
It is unclear whether Lawrie has been arrested, but Sergeant McLean indicated in court that a person allegedly involved in the syndicate may be imminently extradited to NSW.
Acting Superintendent Darren Kelly, the southern region operations manager for NSW Police, said the dismantling of the alleged syndicate should serve as a warning to criminals.
"It basically says that you might not think the police are watching you," he said.
"However, we do have covert investigations conducted all the time."
