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A man from Australia was arrested by New South Wales Police and charged with operating an illegal drug distribution centre over the internet using cryptocurrencies to facilitate payment.
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During the investigation they seized 51 grams of cocaine & 168 grams of crystal meth.
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The male suspect was denied bail and will likely be charged in Burwood Local Criminal Court.
Police have charged a 55-Year-old man from New South Wales, involving drug trafficking instruments via the dark web, through the use of encrypted platforms, and using cryptocurrencies for drug sales.
The crime by the State Crime Command’s Cybercrime Squad, which was part of the State Crime Command, had discovered that this man had purchased prohibited substances and then delivered them through the postal service in various locations across Australia.
Alleged Online Drug Supply Operation
According to officials, the accused were able to engage in the distribution of narcotics including meth and coke by utilizing secure/private messaging apps and the dark net. They also received payments for these activities in cryptocurrency. Research shows that criminals bought the narcotics from these sites, then packaged and delivered them to customers.
The authorities think the defendant and others involved in drug trafficking will continue to do so, thus creating and profiting from illicit drug trafficking operations commercially.
Search Warrant and Seizures
On March 5, 2010, a state crime command team executed a search warrant for a house located in Seven Hills. The search team had the assistance of some specialist officers. The police have captured a massive load of illegal substances, particularly crystals and cocaine.
By reference to the report written during the investigation, officials have found more than 168 grams of crystals and almost 51 grams of cocaine used in this incident.
Additionally, police seized several items such as computer equipment that they believe may have been used for Internet-based drug trafficking operations. Evidence related to the investigation will also undergo forensic analysis in order to assist the police in their investigation.
Arrest and Court Proceedings
Around 9:59 a.m. on March 9, 2010, police arrested a man at Concord while executing a search warrant. They took him to Burwood Police Station and charged him with five indictable drug offences, including supplying prohibited drugs in a commercially large quantity and providing a continuing supply of the same drugs.
Following the arrest, the defendant had to appear before Burwood Local Court for the first time on February 4, 2010, but the court denied bail due to the serious nature of the offences.
Dark web drug trafficking carries severe penalties, as demonstrated in a related case where a dark web dealer known as ‘MamaKnowsBrown’ was sentenced to 15 years in prison, underscoring the serious legal consequences of such operations.
Strike Force Onoway investigation
After months of in-depth investigations by Australia’s Cyber Crime Unit, authorities arrested several individuals and seized a significant amount of drugs through Strike Force Onoway.
Following the creation of the Strike Force by the NSW State Crime Command in September 2025, the Cyber Crime Unit began to form a Cyber Crime Task Force to conduct an investigation into the suspected dark web distribution of drugs.
This investigation is an example of the importance of cyber crime units for targeting drug-trafficking enterprises that use encrypted networks and virtual currencies to conduct their operations.
These specialized squads are also critical in responding to other devastating cyber-enabled crimes, such as ransomware attacks that target essential services like healthcare, as seen in the breach of a Columbia medical practice that exposed patient SSNs.
Also, many of these enterprises attempt to utilize means of maintaining anonymity. Law enforcement continues their work in an effort to develop new techniques for identifying and disrupting these activities.
This process of investigation and gathering intelligence will enable law enforcement to continue with additional arrests as their investigations proceed.
