Legal Aid solicitor Laura Fennell was in the process of making a bail application for one of the men, Mark Jullian, when she spoke of the respective ages of the group members, two of whom are in their 40s, one in his 50s and another in his late 60s.

“They’re mostly aged pensioners, more of a Dad’s Army of drug suppliers,” she said in reference to the popular and long-running BBC sitcom about World War II.

Jullian, 46, is accused of acting as a low-level runner in the alleged syndicate, selling small amount of heroin and cannabis to customers from his Warrawong flat.

His neighbour, Elefterios Skoumbourdis, who is the oldest of the men charged at 67, is accused playing a greater role in the alleged syndicate; he has been charged with 122 offences alone. 

The other co-accused are Darryl Mark Jones, Kevin Orr Stewart, and Tony Jovanovski.

Prosecutor Robert Taylor opposed Jullian’s bail application, noting the case against him was a strong one involving the use of covert surveillance and telephone intercepts. He said Jullian was secretly recorded selling drugs to an undercover officer.

Ms Fennell said Jullian required his liberty to seek treatment for a myriad of medical issues. She said he had recently undergone surgery for stomach ulcers and was having trouble regulating his blood pressure behind bars.

Magistrate Michael Stoddart refused bail on account of the strong prosecution case and the high likelihood of a jail sentence being imposed if Jullian was ultimately convicted.