In a first for the NSW Police Force, Criminal Group Squad detectives have shut down 26 alleged drug runner phone numbers connected to more than 50,000 potential customers under Strike Force Wessex.
Strike Force Wessex was established by State Crime Command's Criminal Groups Squad in April 2023 to investigate alleged criminal groups involved in drug supply using drug run or 'dial-a-dealer' phones across Sydney.
To date, the investigation has involved a number of operational phases, which began with attempting to identify the mobile phone retailers allegedly supplying fraudulent SIM cards:
- About 12.25pm on Tuesday 12 December 2023, strike force detectives executed a search warrant at a mobile phone retail store on Chapel Road South in Bankstown. During a search of the property, detectives located hundreds of fraudulent subscribed SIM cards and $60,000 cash. A 71-year-old woman was arrested and charged with two counts of dealing with proceeds of crime. She was granted conditional bail and appeared in Bankstown Local Court on Thursday 11 January 2024.
- About 2.25pm on Tuesday 30 January 2023, strike force detectives executed a search warrant at a convenience store on Miller Road in Bass Hill, where detectives located a number of SIM cards and approximately $58,000 cash. A 53-year-old man was arrested and charged with two counts of deal with property proceeds of crime
Detectives then worked to identify and recover some of the drug run phones from a number of alleged dealers:
- About 6.40am on Wednesday 7 February 2024, strike force detectives executed a search warrant in Guildford where they arrested two men, aged 50 and 19. During their search, police located multiple mobile phones, approximately $3700 in cash, a baton and two gel blasters. The younger man was charged with supply prohibited drug >indictable & indictable &
- At 6.25am on Tuesday 20 February 2024, strike force detectives – with assistance from Raptor Squad – executed a search warrant in Cartwright, where they seized mobile phones and three SIM cards. About 8am the same day, detectives executed a second warrant in Granville where they seized additional phones and approximately $96,000.
- About 6.35am on Tuesday 27 February 2024, strike force detectives executed a search warrant in Northmead where they located and seized two phones. A 29-year-old man was arrested and charged with breach of bail. He appeared in Parramatta Local Court the same day. A 25-year-old woman was also arrested and charged with common assault and assault police officer in execution of duty without actual bodily harm. She was granted conditional bail to appear in Parramatta Local Court on Tuesday 26 March 2024.
Eight phones which were physically seized and a total of 26 phone numbers were identified as being used by alleged criminal syndicate members to run drugs, with a combined potential customer database of 50,000 people.
Police will allege some of the phone numbers – who were known to their contacts only by names such as 'Dior, 'Tommy' and 'Ricky' – have been in operation for up to 10 years.
With the assistance from the Forensic Evidence & Technical Services Command and various telecommunication networks, as of today (Thursday 7 March 2024), all 26 of those phone numbers have been shut down.
Before the phone numbers were disabled, approximately 50,000 identified contacts of the phone numbers were sent a text message to alert them to the fact their number was linked to an alleged drug running phone.
The text message to customers read, "The NSW Police Force: Strike Force Wessex has identified this number engaging with an organised crime drug supply 'dial-a-dealer' phone. If this continues you may be subject to further investigation. Cease all contact now."
Detective Superintendent Grant Taylor said this was one of the first times police have used this technology to dismantle criminal syndicates and their activities.
"Exploiting new technological capabilities, and using our relationship with various Australian telecommunication companies, we've been able to shut down these phones that were running up to millions of dollars' worth of drugs per week – anything from cannabis to cocaine to ice," Det Supt Taylor said.
"But phase one was just the beginning. Now we've disrupted the dealers' direct line to their customers, we can turn our attention to those at the top – the criminal syndicate controlling these phones and we'll be coming after them next."
Anyone with information that may assist investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
