A Dee Why drug syndicate arrest has put the Northern Beaches in the spotlight this week, after a 30-year-old local man was taken into custody as part of a sweeping police operation that has seen five men charged over the alleged importation of 30 kilograms of ketamine into Australia.
The arrests are the result of Strike Force Lupin, a joint investigation led by the NSW Police State Crime Command’s Organised Crime Squad and the NSW Crime Commission. The strike force was set up to probe the activities of transnational organised crime networks with links to south-east Asia.
According to police, the operation began to unfold in mid-February when a shipment arrived in Melbourne from England. The consignment — falsely declared as car parts — allegedly concealed 30 kilograms of ketamine. A 54-year-old man is alleged to have travelled from England to collect the delivery, taking possession of it in late February before making his way to Canberra, where two other men allegedly received the drugs and transported them to an address at Stanhope Gardens in Greater Western Sydney.
The 54-year-old subsequently returned to Melbourne, where he was arrested at a Mentone address on the morning of Thursday 12 March 2026 with the help of Victoria Police. He appeared before Melbourne Magistrates’ Court that same day, and was brought to Sydney following extradition proceedings. Taken to Mascot Police Station, he was charged with importing and trafficking a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, and was refused bail at Bail Division Local Court 7 on Saturday 14 March. He is next due to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on 7 May 2026.
Detectives then executed search warrants at a number of Sydney addresses, including one at Dee Why, as the investigation widened.
On the morning of Tuesday 17 March 2026, strike force officers moved simultaneously across several locations. The Dee Why man — aged 30 — was arrested and taken to Manly Police Station, where he was charged with supply of a prohibited drug in a quantity equal to or greater than a large commercial amount, and participating in a criminal group to contribute to criminal activity. He faced Manly Local Court that day, was refused bail, and will next appear at Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday 12 May 2026.
At the same time, a 30-year-old man was arrested at Stanhope Gardens and later charged with supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, as well as knowingly directing the activities of a criminal group. He was refused bail and is due in Penrith Local Court on 15 May 2026. A 29-year-old man arrested in Blacktown was charged with participating in a criminal group and was granted conditional bail, with a court date set for Blacktown Local Court on 13 April 2026. A 37-year-old man arrested in Lidcombe faced similar charges to others in the group and was also refused bail, with his matter listed at Burwood Local Court on 13 May 2026.
Detective Superintendent Peter Faux emphasised that tackling networks of this scale requires a coordinated approach across agencies and jurisdictions, noting that collaboration is essential to disrupting not just individual offenders but the criminal infrastructure that sustains them.
Strike Force Lupin’s inquiries are continuing. Anyone with information that may assist investigators is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. All information is treated in strict confidence.
Published 19-March-2026
