An accused Sydney drug boss and three others who allegedly flooded Kings Cross with heroin and ice are behind bars as NSW police prepare to round up dozens of their runners and street-dealers.
The 41-year-old woman, arrested in Surry Hills in sweeping dawn raids on Tuesday, used phones, the internet and ledgers to co-ordinate the distribution of drugs from a home in a Redfern apartment block, police said.
Up to 30 drug runners would then sell the drugs along the Cross's main strip, Darlinghurst Road.
The woman will be charged with up to 30 drug offences including the ongoing supply of heroin and ice, Superintendent Michael Fitzgerald told reporters outside Kings Cross police station on Tuesday.
Just after 6am officers in riot gear swooped on addresses in Kings Cross, Surry Hills and Redfern, also arresting a 34-year-old woman and 43-year-old man, who will be charged with drug supply.
A 40-year-old man nabbed at an address on Darlinghurst Rd and pictured being lead away by police with severe bruising to his face is recovering in hospital.
Supt Fitzgerald said the man had become agitated during the arrest and had sustained the injuries while being restrained.
He is also expected to be charged with drug supply.
Since June undercover police who infiltrated the network have been buying drugs from dealers.
Supt Fitzgerald said officers have been arresting an increasing number of people involved in ice and heroin around the Cross.
He hopes the street runners will now go-to-ground and halt the trade until the police squads can get them behind bars.
"The impact this will have on the Kings Cross drug supply trade will be significant," he said.
"I'm not naive enough to say there's not a drug use problem in this command. We have over 3500 needles discarded each month. With over 160-200 attending the injection centre on a daily basis. We are actively targeting the supply of drugs in our area."
