An Albion Park mother accused of supplying half-a-kilo of meth per week across the Illawarra will remain behind bars.
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Lauren Mae Batcheldor, 41, faced Wollongong Local Court on Monday after Illawarra's Raptor South Squad swooped in on her last week.
The supermarket worker is yet to enter pleas to supplying a commercial amount of a prohibited drug, supplying an indictable amount of a prohibited drug, and organising a drug premises.
Batcheldor came under the notice of the State Crime Command Raptor South Squad after an alleged upline supplier was stopped by police on the Pacific Highway on April 17.
Investigators will allege the accused man dropped 568 grams of meth to Batcheldor earlier that morning just before 9am. He was later arrested and refused bail, according to tendered court documents.
The next day, detectives conducted surveillance at Batcheldor's Albion Park address and allegedly saw a woman leaving the property, carrying a small black bag with a "large bulge".
Police will allege Batcheldor supplied the drugs to the woman after they pulled her over and uncovered them during a search. The woman was also arrested and refused bail.
Investigators obtained a search warrant and raided Batcheldor's home that afternoon, allegedly uncovering 367 grams of meth sitting near a vacuum sealer in a garage fitted with several CCTV cameras.
Vacuum-sealed bags with 58 grams of meth inside, 65 rounds of ammunition, a firearm bipod, and a flick knife were also allegedly found.
Detectives returned on April 27 and arrested Batcheldor, and also allegedly found a set of digital scales and two mobile phones inside her coffee table.
Investigators will allege Batcheldor had been supplying "no less than 500g amounts of meth per week for over 12 months in the Illawarra", according to court documents.
In arguing for her release, defence lawyer Matthew Barnes said Batcheldor had previously complied with strict court orders over long periods, after she was charged an offence in 2010.
Mr Barnes proposed a set of house arrest-style bail conditions Batcheldor could comply with, adding that a "significant surety" had been offered by a relative.
However police prosecutor Sergeant Ashley Jacob said the offences were too serious to warrant bail, with full-time custody a likely outcome if Batcheldor is convicted.
Magistrate Claire Girotto acknowledged the prosecution case was "fairly strong" and said Batchelor's alleged role in the operation appeared "pretty high up".
"She's not a (drug) runner ... she's got lots in stock," Magistrate Girotto said.
Batcheldor told the court she wasn't the only person who lived at the address.
Unmoved, Magistrate Girotto refused bail. The matter will return to court on June 28.
Read more Illawarra court and crime stories here.
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Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
