Police seize 119 bags of cocaine in Sydney’s first weekend outside lockdown

More than 119 bags of cocaine were seized and 17 people arrested in just two days after Sydney emerged from a 106-day lockdown.

The cocaine, valued at approximately $50,000 — along with $30,000 in cash believed to be drug profits — was discovered in the city’s eastern suburbs as part of a street patrol rather than a drug-focused operation.

Most of the seizures were made after vehicles stopped carrying detainees suspected of being mobile drug dealers.

“This weekend there was a targeted effort to address antisocial behavior – and thanks to the work of our officers, $50,000 worth of cocaine has now been taken off our street and 17 people have been charged,” Detective Inspector Martin Fileman, Eastern Suburbs Commander, said. .

He said that with the reopening of catering establishments and the warming weather towards summer, police expected large crowds in the eastern suburbs.

“The community can rest assured that the police will continue to be highly visible to deal with this type of illegal activity and other criminal behavior,” he said.

He said police “wanted to send a clear message” that they would not tolerate illegal drugs and that those found with them would soon be charged and taken to court.

The seized cocaine was found in small plastic bags sold as a gram of the drug for $250 to $500 each.

The total weight of cocaine in the 119 bags seized over the weekend was 94.2 grams, indicating that some bags contained much less than a gram.

A taxi driver from Bankstown in the west of the city was one of 17 arrested over the weekend after being stopped in posh Double Bay.

A search of the man’s vehicle reportedly found $8,800 in cash and 20.9 grams of cocaine spread across 34 bags.

Among those arrested was a taxi driver who was reportedly found with 34 bags of cocaine and more than $8,000 in cash (pictured) in his taxi