Police expect to make more arrests as part of a major blitz on the Illawarra's flourishing cocaine trade, the region's gangs squad boss has warned.
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Strike Force Gindurra made its tenth arrest on Tuesday, with 20-year-old Lake Heights man Stefan Stefas captured kissing his mum goodbye before he was bundled into a police van.
Detective Superintendent Andrew Koutsoufis, head of State Crime Command's Raptor Squad, said this was unlikely to be Gindurra's final arrest.
"The investigations are ongoing and I dare say there will be some nervous people out there waiting for us to knock on their door," he said.
Gindurra was was set up in February to investigate the large-scale supply of cocaine by alleged associates of outlaw motorcycle gangs and organised crime networks in the Illawarra.
Supt Koutsoufis said the operation had been a major focus for Raptor South's 26 officers.
Court papers viewed by the Mercury show investigators have gathered an "overwhelming" trove of evidence, much of it surveillance footage taken from a camera hidden in the Corrimal Street, Wollongong kitchen of accused mainplayer Mustajab Turi.
Turi is alleged to have relied on a diverse group of players - Illawarra small businessmen among them - to sell the drug through their own networks before returning the profits to him.
Among those now ensnared is Wollongong restaurateur Andrea Rubbo, of landmark North Wollongong restaurant Lucia's by the Sea, and Warilla Lake-South Gorillas player Tory Vartiainen - son of national Bandidos boss Tony "Big Tony" Vartiainen.
"There have been relatively high-profile members of the community that have been swept up in this investigation," Supt Koutsoufis said.
"With cocaine, this sort of thing spreads across all levels of society, from high profile business people with money to burn, to others trying to make fast money."
The arrests represent a major flex southward for the state's gangs squad, which has historically focused mostly on metropolitan areas.
"Now we've spread our operations throughout NSW. We're really determined to make the community safer, and the work we do is highly effective towards that end.
"I allege it's been one of the major drug syndicates operating here in the Illawarra, so it's made a fair dent here in local operations in the Illawarra at least."
Those now charged include:
- Accused mainplayer Mustajab Turi, 21, of Wollongong. Faces 25 charges, including 16 counts of supplying indictable and commercial quantities of a prohibited drug.
- Tory Vartiainen, 22. Son of Bandidos boss Tony Vartiainen. Charged with participating in a criminal group and contributing to criminal activity, knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime and two counts of supplying an indictable quantity of cocaine.
- Stevce Blazevski, 42, charged with supplying an indictable quantity of cocaine and participating in a criminal group, following his arrest at Cringila.
- Lucia's by the Sea restaurant owner Andrea Rubbo, 42. Allegedly captured on police surveillance and phone intercepts self-administering cocaine inside Turi's apartment, buying it and making plans to on-sell it.
- Marwan Choubassi, 30. Arrested on Goolagong Circuit, Mount Warrigal on five charges. Allegedly recordedweighing and packaging drugs inside Turi's apartment. Refused bail on five charges, owing to prior drug history.
- Kaan Berk 25, arrested at gym on Montague St, Nth Wollongong. Charged with participate criminal group, supply prohibited drug, self administer prohibited drug and knowingly deal with proceeds of crime.
- Daniel Treneski, 38 Cringila arrested at Keira St business, Cafe Adore. Alleged to have exchanged $8500 in cash for two ounces of cocaine during an April 27 visit to Turi's unit. Allegedly sold the drugs and returned $17,000 to Turi.
- Jake Lloyd Agius, 24, allegedly bought and on-sold 56.7 grams of the drug. Arrested at Wollongong police station.
- Dimitri Cantarakis, 21. Allegedly caught on a secret camera delivering 255 grams of cocaine to accused mainplayer Turi.
- Stefan Stefas, 20, arrested on Shearwater Drive in Lake Heights and charged with eight offences, including five supply charges and one participate criminal group.
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Angela Thompson
Proudly Illawarra Mercury since 2008; these days covering crime and justice issues. UOW alum. Thrilled by the chase and sobered by some of the things I see and hear when I stand still - sometimes in the same day. ang.thompson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Proudly Illawarra Mercury since 2008; these days covering crime and justice issues. UOW alum. Thrilled by the chase and sobered by some of the things I see and hear when I stand still - sometimes in the same day. ang.thompson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
