Accused ‘dial-a-dealer enabler’ allegedly sold thousands of SIM cards to drug syndicate

A phone store manager has been accused of selling thousands of SIM cards to a drug syndicate as police target organized crime ‘enablers’.

The 30-year-old was arrested in Granville, in Sydney‘s west, on Friday and charged with 30 offenses including dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and assisting and deriving a material benefit from a criminal group.

Police will allege he sold thousands of pre-subscribed and fraudulent SIM cards to Sydney criminals, including those linked to the syndicate.

A phone store manager has been accused of selling thousands of SIM cards to a drug syndicate as police target organized crime ‘enablers’

The Sydneysider has been charged with 30 offenses including dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and assisting and deriving a material benefit from a criminal group

His arrest comes as police turn their attention to the alleged enablers and facilitators of organized crime, as accused high-ranking figures flee the country or await their day in court following a series of raids.

‘The men who we arrested earlier this week could not have facilitated their ongoing criminal exploits without the help of enablers and trusted insiders,’ Detective Superintendent Grant Taylor said on Friday.

‘Investigators are working our way down the pyramid and we’ve still got plenty more to come.’

Raids throughout the week have targeted members of the ‘dial-a-dealer’ syndicate police allege was linked to the Alameddine crime gang selling drugs supplied by Comancheros bikies.

Eighteen men – all believed to be low and mid-level associates of the Alameddine crew – were arrested on Tuesday morning after a 450-strong team of police officers raided 29 properties across the city’s south-west.

The action is the result of a 10-month undercover operation by Strike Force Sugarcane, coordinated with Taskforce Erebus, recently established to target organized crime amid a spat of public place shootings.

Police will allege he sold thousands of pre-subscribed and fraudulent SIM cards to Sydney criminals, including those linked to the syndicate

His arrest comes as police turn their attention to the enablers and facilitators of organized crime as high-ranking figures have fled the country or are awaiting their day in court following a series of raids

Encrypted phones seized were allegedly a source of competition in the drug market as dealers competed for lucrative clientele and police believe they may have played a part in a number of murders over the past two years.

The arrested men will be charged with crimes including drug supply, firearm, dealing with the proceeds of crime and direct or participate in a criminal group.

Law enforcement has cracked down heavily on organized crime this week with NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb saying she was confident police had ‘cut the head off the snake’, shutting down the syndicate altogether.

She said those arrested on Tuesday didn’t appear to be employed but ‘displayed considerable wealth’.

The Sydney phone shop manager was arrested as police zero in on organized crime ‘enablers’