A thriving Wollongong cocaine trade had its nexus in a Corrimal Street apartment, where investigators say they have gathered an "overwhelming" trove of evidence, much of it from a secret camera hidden in the accused mainplayer's kitchen.
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State Crime Command's Raptor Squad South set up Strike Force Gindurra in February to investigate the large-scale supply of cocaine by alleged associates of outlaw motorcycle gangs and organised crime networks in the Illawarra.
Police say the network was headed by Wollongong 21-year-old Mustajab Turi, who is alleged to have relied on a disparate group of players - Illawarra small businessmen among them - to sell the drug through their own networks before returning the profits to him.
![Daniel Treneski, left, and Lucia's by the Sea restaurant owner Andrea Rubbo both applied for bail on Thursday. Daniel Treneski, left, and Lucia's by the Sea restaurant owner Andrea Rubbo both applied for bail on Thursday.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/rdPnbxNSt95RbDXSGgzrdz/d846ae4c-f247-4874-ad35-7c2e31a9bf81.png/r0_0_1280_720_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Turi was arrested and charged with 25 offences on May 25, kicking off a series of Raptor raids.
Arrests linked to the bust swelled from four to eight on Thursday, when four of those charged applied for bail in Wollongong Local Court.
They are Marwan Choubassi, 30, of Mount Warrigal; Daniel Treneski, 38, of Wollongong; Jake Lloyd Agius, 24, of Wollongong and Andrea Rubbo, 42, of Wollongong.
Treneski, who was arrested at his Keira Street business, Cafe Adore, was allegedly captured on audio visual surveillance exchanging $8500 in cash for two 'ounces' - almost 57 grams of the drug - during an April 27 visit to Turi's Corrimal St unit.
The court heard this was almost 19 times the trafficable quantity of cocaine, and that Treneski then sold the drugs to his own customer base.
![A secret camera was hidden in the apartment of a Corrimal Street unit. A secret camera was hidden in the apartment of a Corrimal Street unit.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/rdPnbxNSt95RbDXSGgzrdz/5c0098c8-0d21-4e2f-b4d8-d9da25b753ac.jpeg/r0_83_1620_997_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
He was allegedly captured on optical and listening devices handing over the alleged proceeds of those sales - $17,000 cash - in another visit to Turi's unit two days later. The court heard he was recorded telling Turi, "I've got 17 here. Bud is gonna give me another four-and-a-half on Wednesday and I've got about six on tick alright."
Treneski faces five charges. Most seriously, he is accused of knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime. He was granted bail on Thursday after pleading not guilty to the majority of offences. The court was told he worked long hours at his cafe each day, and that he would live with his parents in Cringila.
Police allege the associates used coded messages - "lets have a drink" - when they wanted to meet to do drug deals. Turi allegedly used the phrase when he was either re-stocked with more cocaine to supply, or when asking for outstanding drug money.
![Andrea Rubbo pictured at his North Wollongong restaurant in December 2020. Andrea Rubbo pictured at his North Wollongong restaurant in December 2020.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/rdPnbxNSt95RbDXSGgzrdz/0a9d60d5-98c7-4ddd-b41f-b4ac5df15386.jpg/r0_0_1200_677_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Police allege Rubbo, a high-profile Wollongong licencee, uttered the same words to summon Turi to a deal on May 9. When his restaurant - Cliff Road landmark Lucia's by the Sea - was too busy, they met at nearby Pepe's, with an ounce (28.35 grams) of cocaine allegedly changing hands.
Police surveillance and telephone intercepts allegedly show Rubbo self-administering the drug inside Turi's apartment, buying it and saying he planned to on-sell it. He has pleaded not guilty to seven charges.
Police also allege the recordings capture him discussing Turi's request for $11,000 in cash to be given to him through Lucia's by the Sea.
The police allege that Rubbo did not appear overly keen on the arrangement by reason of how long it took to collect the cash on a previous occasion. But he allegedly said that if it was to be done, they would have to fabricate emails to suggest a function took place at the Cliff Road venue, to make the $11,000 sound plausible if an investigation took place.
The court heard he visited Turi's apartment on May 16 and agreed to buy an ounce of the drug, worth $5000, despite earlier protesting the amount was too much. Police allege he told Turi he was planning to on-sell half the amount to another person.
![Cliff Road Italian restaurant Lucia's by the Sea. Cliff Road Italian restaurant Lucia's by the Sea.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/rdPnbxNSt95RbDXSGgzrdz/8335c512-26f5-4f9a-9a74-894dd74fed0a.png/r0_0_1280_720_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Most of the money allegedly changed hands in Turi's apartment three days later.
Rubbo grew tearful in court, where he was granted bail late Thursday. Like others, bail came with conditions so strict, he is considered to be under "a form of house arrest".
He must submit to drug testing, report daily to police and abide by a curfew. His wife, the restaurant's namesake, must provide a $10,000 security deposit and must be at his side whenever he leaves the house.
Meantime Choubassi, with some prior drug history, was refused bail. He was arrested at home on Thursday and charged with five offences after surveillance allegedly captured him weighing and packaging the drugs during a May 6 visit to Turi's apartment, which he allegedly departed with more than 56 grams of cocaine.
He was allegedly recorded counting drug money and vowing to on-sell the drug - "hey I'll move everything by Sunday" - when he returned to Turi's home on May 12.
![Strike Force Gindurra detectives arrest a man during investigations into a drug ring. Picture from NSW Police Force. Strike Force Gindurra detectives arrest a man during investigations into a drug ring. Picture from NSW Police Force.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/rdPnbxNSt95RbDXSGgzrdz/49e8e385-71e0-4958-82c6-e6b1b2bc2856.png/r148_36_942_517_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Agius captured on surveillance allegedly buying or on-supplying 56.7 grams of the drug.
The court heard he used encrypted applications including Whatsapp, Snapchat, Signal, Wickr and Threena to avoid detection when he communicated with co-accused, customers and upline suppliers.
Agius, whose involvement was categorised as lower than Rubbo's was granted bail in court on Thursday.
Another man, aged 25, as yet not publicly identified, was arrested at a gym on Montague Street, North Wollongong on Thursday and charged with four offences related to the network. He was granted police bail and is due to front court on June 28.
Read the latest Illawarra court and crime stories here.
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