A pair of identical twins allegedly at the centre of a party drug syndicate operating throughout the Illawarra are potentially facing life behind bars if convicted of a freshly laid drug supply charge.
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Joel and Flinn Westman, the sons of prominent Illawarra domestic violence campaigner Janine McEvoy, were each hit with a fresh charge of supplying a large commercial quantity of ecstasy when they fronted Wollongong Local Court on Monday.
The charge stems from allegations a covert police camera planted in their Wonson Avenue home secretly recorded them handling at least 4,200 "Euro" MDMA pills on the afternoon of July 31.
Police will allege Joel's brother-in-law, Colby Campbell, helped the pair bag up the drugs into smaller quantities.
He too has been hit with the upgraded charge, which carries a maximum term of life behind bars, with a standard non-parole period of 15 years.
The trio are among 10 facing charges over the alleged syndicate, which was busted wide open on Friday morning when police carried out sweeping raids at multiple houses across the Illawarra.
Wollongong detectives had spent more than three months monitoring the group's activities, allegedly gathering a "plethora" of evidence from telephone taps, hidden cameras, electronic and physical surveillance, stakeouts and staged drug buys.
Also facing charges are Daniel Westman (the twins' older brother); Joel's girlfriend Nikita Campbell; close friend Shaun Lane; Lane's brother-in-law, Graeme Ashfield; and one of Flinn's friends, Hunter Harrison.
Meanwhile, Lake Illawarra detectives busted their own off-shoot group with alleged links to the syndicate, arresting mates David Ognenovski and Thomas James Walton in separate but related raids on Friday morning.
Only Daniel Westman, Nikita Campbell, and Hunter Harrison were granted bail in court on Saturday, while the rest were remanded in custody.
A 14-page fact sheet tendered to the court on Monday detailed for the first time the full extent of the allegations against the Westman twins, both of whom sought bail but ultimately failed to convince Magistrate Roger Clisdell they should be released.
Police will allege the twins were the masterminds behind the burgeoning drug ring, described by investigating detectives as "sophisticated, well-planned and meticulously organised".
"As principals, Joel and Flinn Westman were responsible for obtaining larger quantities of cocaine and MDMA for supply to customers as well as other syndicate members for on-supply, generally at street level," detectives wrote.
"Large sums of Australian currency have been monitored in the [Westman] premises, up to $100,000 at a time.
"Furthermore, large amounts of both the prohibited drugs cocaine and MDMA in excess of half-a-kilogram have also been recorded within the premises."
It is alleged the brothers were recorded inside their Wonson Avenue home openly discussing their criminal dealings, including supply capabilities, stock levels, how to extort those who owed them money and what other syndicate members were up to.
"We are a 50/50 partnership," Joel allegedly told his brother on July 31, two weeks before their arrest.
Meanwhile, police detailed multiple transactions in fact sheets to showcase their evidence against the group.
It is alleged Joel Westman, Lane and Colby Campbell met a buyer at KFC Unanderra on the evening of July 17 and exchanged 27 grams of cocaine and 98 grams of ecstasy for $12,150 in cash.
Both bags of drugs were later seized by police and tested for authenticity and purity.
Eight days later, Joel Westman allegedly gave Lane two ounces of cocaine, which he allegedly sold later that night to a single buyer for $18,000, while on August 1 he allegedly sold three ounces each of cocaine and ecstasy - sourced from the Westmans - to another buyer for $27,000 in an exchange that took place in the carpark of West Leagues Club at Unanderra.
On August 8, Joel is allegedly recorded selling two ounces of cocaine to David Ognenovski.
Meanwhile, the day before the police raids, Hunter Harrison allegedly accompanies Flinn on a run to pick up cocaine and is present in the dining room when Flinn repackages it into multiple bags, police claim.
The bags were then put in the boot of a BMW parked in the driveway. Joel and Flinn had allegedly taken the car a month earlier as payment from a man who owed them money and had both been using it as part of the syndicate's operations.
Police seized the vehicle when they raided the Westman house on Friday, along with 267 grams of cocaine, $24,360 in Australian currency, 31 grams of cannabis and 150ml of GBH.
In court on Monday, police prosecutor Amelia Wall opposed bail applications made by both Westman twins, Colby Campbell, Shaun Lane, Graeme Ashfield and Thomas Walton, saying the police case against each man was "exceptionally strong".
Magistrate Clisdell agreed to release Ashfield on strict bail but refused the applications made on behalf of each of the other accused, agreeing that the case against them appeared strong and they each faced years behind bars if convicted.
See Wednesday's Mercury for Part 2, detailing the case against David Ognenovski and Thomas Walton.