A rag tag group of alleged drug dealers in Canberra’s clubs and bars were hauled into court on Thursday and charged with trafficking ecstasy and cocaine.
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The three men and one woman - a chef, an EL1 public servant, a real estate agent and a paramedic student - were snared in the police sting in Civic over the last few months, court documents allege, unwittingly selling the drugs to undercover police officers.
On Wednesday, police raided their homes across Canberra and Queanbeyan, seizing 1000 pills believed to be ecstasy, cocaine and $5000 in cash.
But the sting started months before Wednesday. About 8pm on May 18 this year, a group of undercover police officers hit the town, with the purpose of buying drugs from "unknown persons", the documents say.
About an hour later in Hopscotch in Braddon, one officer allegedly approached a man named Nicholas Ronald Adamopoulos, 32, later referred to as “Greek Nick”, and arranged to buy drugs off him.
It’s alleged the undercover group bought pills from the man, who then said he needed to re-supply himself with pills from a friend, "Lee", and they walked to Cube Nightclub.
The police allegedly bought more pills from Mr Adamopoulos, an EL1 public servant from Cook, before parting ways briefly as the man went into the City Labor Club.
Police allege he met with Lee Jonathan Ward, a Mackellar chef, who allegedly showed Mr Adamopoulos to a poker machine. Mr Adamopoulos allegedly reached behind the machine and retrieved a small object.
Mr Ward, 39, allegedly connected the police with Kira Lee Meagher, 20, over encrypted messenger app Wickr. Ms Meagher also allegedly met with undercover police and sold them 20 pills for $400 at the Jolimont Centre.
The pills were blue, with a "Transformers" motif stamp, police said.
Ms Meagher also had her Queanbeyan home raided on Wednesday. The part-time security guard and paramedic student was granted bail, despite the opposition of prosecutors, as was Mr Adamopoulos. The pair face strict conditions, including reporting daily to police and abiding by a curfew overnight.
Mr Ward , charged with four counts of trafficking, was denied his bid at freedom by Magistrate Karen Fryar, as was a fourth person, Carlos Antonio Pavez. Mr Pavez is charged with seven counts of trafficking.
Mr Pavez, 46, a contractor real estate agent from Macquarie, was apparently not connected to the others. But court documents allege he also met with and sold drugs to undercover cops in Transit Bar and Kokomos.
Ms Fryar said his matter was perplexing, given his age and lack of a criminal history. She noted he had declared an intention to give up drugs a week ago, but there was allegedly a large amount of drugs at his home.
The four accused drug dealers faced court the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday with a combined 21 charges of trafficking MDMA and cocaine.
In a press conference outside court on Thursday, ACT Policing's Sergeant Harry Hains said ACT and NSW police raided the homes as part of Operation Ghar, which targets drug dealing in Civic.
"People need to realise that if they are involved in the sale or purchase of drugs they are actually supporting international, vicious criminal cartels," he said.
"If people have a problem with drugs we urge them to seek assistance. We urge them to seek medical help, we cannot arrest our way out of this problem."
"People who see the sale and supply of drugs as an easy way to make money better have a long hard think about the potential consequences for them. It won't be an easy way."
