A Sydney rockstar who fronts band The Art is facing possible life behind bars if convicted over his alleged role in what police claim is a $5.5million international drug ring.
Azaria Byrne (real name David Byrne) was arrested at his Earlwood home on Wednesday in Sydney's south-west by detectives investigating a large-scale drug supply syndicate under Strike Force Dulce.
There, officers also arrested his hairdresser fiancée, Brooke Mitchell, 28.
Both have been charged with supplying large commercial quantities of a prohibited drug, participating in a criminal group, and dealing with the proceeds of crime.
Byrne, 45, has also been charged with acquiring illegal firearm parts allegedly found alongside a flick knife at his ramshackle home.
Just after 7am, detectives executed a search warrant at the four-bedroom property he had purchased for $1.25million in 2020.
Police allege cocaine, MDMA, cannabis, LSD, ketamine and diazepam were also found at Byrne's home.
Mitchell's mother, Joanne Cullip, 61, was also arrested at the property, where she lived with the couple. She was charged with participating in a criminal group and granted police bail to appear in court in April.
A short drive away, in a converted warehouse in Leichhardt that Byrne sub-leases to musicians and recording studios, detectives allegedly found about 25 kilograms of ketamine, 17 kilograms of cannabis, 2.5 kilograms of cocaine, 3.5 kilograms of MDMA, 5.6 kilograms of diazepam, half a kilogram of magic mushrooms, 70 grams of methamphetamine, almost 20,000 pills believed to contain LSD, and $200,000 in cash.
Police allege the drugs, some of which were found in a secret room by drug detection dogs, have a street value of $5.5million.
Detectives allege Byrne directed the local activities of the syndicate, while Mitchell and her mother helped distribute drugs that the group is alleged to have manufactured at a Marrickville lab raided on Wednesday.
Police seized ketamine, MDMA and equipment allegedly used for drug manufacturing at the property.
Byrne sobbed during a failed bail application on Thursday, during which prosecutors told Burwood Local Court he was at risk of moving what they described as both legitimate and unexplained wealth offshore if released, and that it would be in his interest 'to do everything possible to leave this jurisdiction'.
Byrne's barrister, Hollie Blake, told the court his home was purchased with help from his parents, rather than any unexplained wealth.
The court heard Byrne had been captured on surveillance and listening devices supplying prohibited drugs during the nine-month police investigation. He was remanded in custody to appear in Downing Centre Local Court on May 14.
Mitchell's lawyer, Alexander Reetov, told the court his client did not play a high-ranking role in the syndicate.
'She's a lady of no substantial means, which is in contrast to Mr Byrne,' Reetov said.
Both Mitchell and her mother were seen accessing the Leichhardt studios, where the syndicate's drugs were stored, several times during police surveillance, the court heard.
Magistrate Jennifer Price refused Mitchell bail. She will face Downing Centre Local Court alongside Byrne on May 14.
At Potts Point on Wednesday, detectives arrested Oliver Dibley, a music producer and vocalist who lives between Sydney and Los Angeles, where Byrne had occasionally travelled for work with his tour promotion company, Hi Society Touring. Drugs and $37,000 in cash were allegedly seized in the raid.
Dibley, 33, attended St Andrew's Cathedral School in Sydney's CBD, graduating in 2010.
'He was quiet, arty and nice. I was shocked he is allegedly caught up in all this,' a former school peer said.
Police allege Dibley, who is friends with the couple on Facebook, was the offshore ringleader of the syndicate, directing its activities from the United States.
He has been charged with dozens of drug supply offences, as well as dealing with property alleged to be the proceeds of crime and knowingly directing the activities of a criminal group.
In raids across homes in Marrickville, Balmain and Dulwich Hill, police allegedly found cocaine, MDMA, methamphetamine, magic mushrooms, prescription medication, cannabis, LSD and more than $40,000 in cash.
Several other alleged syndicate members, who detectives said were helping to distribute the group's drugs, were arrested over the course of Wednesday.
Andrew Donald Kirkby, 38, of Marrickville; Tayler Paul Richard Pride, 37; and Onur Karaozbek, 43; were all charged with drug supply offences. Kirkby and Pride were also charged with dealing with proceeds of crime.
Dibley; Kirkby; Pride; and Karaozbek were remanded into custody to face court in May.
A 37-year-old woman; Keisha Seru; of Surry Hills; was arrested and charged with four counts of possessing a prohibited drug and participating in a criminal group after police allegedly found cannabis; magic mushrooms; and dexamphetamine on her during a raid of a Marrickville home. She was granted police bail to face Downing Centre Local Court in April.
'Tonight; there are less drugs on the streets of Sydney as a result of this excellent investigation,' Acting Superintendent Gretchen Atkins said on Thursday afternoon.
Investigations under Strike Force Dulce are ongoing.
Byrne is no stranger to headlines; he previously dated The Veronicas twin Jess Origliasso in 2008.
In 2014; New Zealand woman Leeza Tracey Ormsby was sentenced to 10 months in prison after accepting keys to a Balinese villa from Byrne one day before a drug bust with authorities discovering 132g of ecstasy and 27g of hashish inside the villa.
At the time he said he was shocked to learn that Ms Ormsby had been arrested for drug possession.
Byrne; who met Ormsby for the first and only time at a dinner on his final night in Bali; insisted there were no drugs in the house when he left; saying: