The unravelling of an alleged Sydney dark web syndicate
The pair, aged 25 and 22, had come to the attention of NSW Police's elite Cybercrime Squad, who had reason to suspect the men were running a complex dark net drug operation.
The duo, plus at least two unknown people, had allegedly sold quantities of cocaine, heroin, ketamine and methylamphetamine to eager buyers across the country.
Court documents do not identify the pair's alleged co-conspirators, who went by the monikers of SnowQueen and EliteSupplies as they communicated online.
Beginning in January, detectives launched a five-month operation that began when police allegedly became aware of the purchase of 3.5 grams of ice for $630 worth of cryptocurrency on the 20th of that month.
The following day, surveillance officers followed the duo from the Belmore home Cao shared with his girlfriend and her parents to a post office in Lakemba, where they allegedly witnessed Do remove a black and white bag from the car before Cao took it inside. It was later seized by investigators.
Investigators allege it was the first of several occasions that Do used the postal system to send drugs sold on the dark net that were later seized and tested by police.
The operation, in which police allege Cao was pulling the strings, came to a screeching halt in May when the men were picked up by detectives.
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