In a major drug enforcement operation carried out by New South Wales police in Sydney, two Scottish citizens have been taken into custody and formally charged following the seizure of more than 100 kilograms of ketamine, a controlled prohibited substance.
The pair — 30-year-old Jack Farrelly and 23-year-old Demi McDaid — were apprehended on June 29 during a coordinated raid on a hotel located in North Sydney. Law enforcement officers located 105 kilograms of ketamine hidden in the boot of a rental car parked inside the hotel’s private car park, authorities confirmed. A subsequent search of the hotel room occupied by the two suspects turned up additional evidence linked to alleged drug trafficking activities: multiple mobile devices, handwritten documents that police claim are records of drug transactions, and approximately A$2,000 (equal to around £1,051) in untraceable cash.
The hotel raid was not the first action taken in this ongoing investigation. Three days before Farrelly and McDaid’s arrest, NSW police executed a separate search warrant at a short-term rental property on Hampden Road in Artarmon, a North Shore Sydney suburb situated roughly 8 kilometers from the Sydney central business district. At that location, officers seized an additional 2 kilograms of suspected ketamine, along with drug processing paraphernalia including digital scales, disposable gloves, clear resealable bags that tested positive for white crystalline ketamine residue, and personal luggage belonging to unknown persons.
Following their arrest, the two accused were transported to Chatswood Police Station for processing and questioning. During their first court appearance at Manly Local Court on June 30, both Farrelly and McDaid were denied bail by the presiding magistrate. They are scheduled to make their next court appearance at the Downing Centre Local Court on August 26.
The charges brought against the pair are two separate counts related to illegal drug supply: one count of supplying a prohibited drug in a quantity above the indictable threshold but below the commercial quantity, and a second more severe count of supplying a prohibited drug in a quantity that meets or exceeds the large commercial quantity standard under Australian law. NSW Police have stated that prosecutors will argue the two Scottish nationals traveled to Australia with the explicit intention of coordinating the distribution and sale of large volumes of controlled illicit drugs.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office confirmed that consular support is being provided to the two British detainees, and that the department maintains ongoing contact with Australian local law enforcement and judicial authorities. NSW police have also noted that their broader investigation into the alleged drug trafficking network is still active, with additional developments expected as the case progresses toward trial.