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Three women and seven men have been charged after police raids in Sydney dismantled an alleged drug ring and seized cocaine, steroids, cannabis, rifles, ammunition and $38,000 in cash.
Police carried out simultaneous raids on Thursday at five addresses, all in the Macarthur region of south-west Sydney, and arrested two 28-year-old women, one 23-year-old and seven men aged between 25 and 32.
One of the women, Elise Chalker, 28, and one of the men, Dean Grantham, 24, appear on social media as a romantic couple.
The suspected criminals had been on police radar since December, when Camden Police Area Command established Strike Force Singer to investigate an alleged drug ring operating across the south west.
The 10 arrested were taken to Narellan police station after the raids.
They appeared at Parramatta Local Court on Friday, along with six of their co-accused, Liam McKell and Dylan Johnson, both 25, Jayden Hodkinson, 26, Daniel Andison, 31, and Joshua Johnson and Christopher Armstrong, both 32. .
Police seized 500 grams of cocaine with an estimated street value of $150,000, as well as steroids, cannabis, $38,000 in cash and weapons.
Two other women, aged 23 and 28, were charged with supplying a prohibited drug and participating in a criminal group, and faced Picton Local Court, where they were granted conditional bail on Thursday.
In Thursday’s raids in Tahmoor, Menangle, Oran Park, Spring Farm and Harrington Park, police allegedly located and seized 500 grams of cocaine with an estimated street value of $150,000, cash, rifles and other weapons and ammunition prohibited.
A hydraulic press, which can be used to compress drugs such as cocaine, was also allegedly discovered.
Two men aged 24 and 25 were accused of knowingly directing the activities of a criminal group, in which the others were accused of participating.
The 24-year-old was also charged along with a 28-year-old woman with running a drug store exposing a child.
Three other men aged 25, 26 and 31, as well as two aged 32, were charged with drugs and proceeds of crime.