John Marsh 
Updated July 18th, 2019
A 25-year-old Australian man believed to be the dark web drug vendor ‘NSWGreat’ was arraigned in the Nowra Local Court on April 12 and slapped with six more charges. The charges were a result of further investigations into the 25-year-old’s $17 million dark web drug trafficking operation. He allegedly sold a variety of drugs including amphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, LSD, and prescription drugs. He then used the proceeds from the drug trafficking operation to fund his flamboyant lifestyle.
Cody Ronald Ward, 25, from Callala Beach was arrested on February 14 following months of investigations led by Strike Force Royden, which was formed in early 2018 to fight the distribution of controlled substances in New South Wales. Ward was arrested alongside two sisters who reportedly oversaw the packaging and shipping of the drug packages to their clients by mail. According to the head of the police, Ward’s dark web activities resulted in the largest dark web drug trafficking operation in Australia which had led to the distribution of drugs worth over $17 million.
The arrests of Ward and the two sisters, Shanese Koullias, 24, and Patricia Koullias, 20, were facilitated by the interception of 85 drug packages on February 13 by the Australian Post with the help of the strike force detectives. On making the interceptions, the investigators acquired search warrants against the properties of the trio and executed them on February 14. The investigators raided and searched the trio’s properties in Callala Beach, Callala Bay, and Quakers Hill. The detectives found and seized over 100,000 LSD pills, 2.5 kgs of cocaine and amphetamine, 200 grams of MDMA, and undisclosed quantities of Xanax. They also seized three vehicles, $80,000 in cash, electronic devices, and packaging materials.
Analysis carried out on the seized electronic devices reportedly led to the discovery of cryptocurrency wallets used by the trio in the course of the drug trafficking operation. A police statement disclosed that the analysts found transactions of cryptocurrencies worth over $17 million. The investigations that resulted in the trio’s arrest received praise from the acting police commissioner and the Australian post Security General manager. They both said the case showed what would ultimately happen to other dark web drug dealers in the country.
The trio was arraigned in the Nowra Local Court before Magistrate Gabriel Fleming on February 15. The Koullias sisters were charged for aiding in the distribution of controlled substances and participation in an organized crime group. Ward faced four counts for supplying controlled substances, dealing with proceeds of crime, knowingly and willingly running an organized crime ring. Ward was also ordered to appear in court on April 12. After being charged, the trio was placed under police custody without bail. Magistrate Fleming denied the Koullias sisters’ bail again after they appeared before him on February 22.
On April 12, Ward appeared before the same court and was slapped with six extra charges. He was charged with two counts of importation of marketable quantities of border-controlled drugs and four counts of importation of commercial amounts of border-controlled drugs.
The new charges came after the NSW Crimes Commission successfully acquired restraining orders that froze the assets of Ward and Shanese. The restraining orders issued by Justice David Davies of the NSW Supreme Court froze Ward’s bitcoin and Ethereum found in his crypto wallets after the raid of his properties, three vehicles, funds in three bank accounts with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and his Callala Bay residence. The restraining order placed the frozen assets under the custody of the New South Wales Trustee and Guardian. Justice Davies also ordered Shanese and Ward to issues sworn statements before a court official to disclose all their financial dealings and properties.
