British couple arrested in Australia accused of £6m medication haul face 15 years in jail
Demi McDaid, 23, and Jack Farrelly, 30, were arrested in Sydney last month after police allegedly found 105 kilos of ketamine in the boot of a car leased by Farrelly and parked in a hotel car park
The alleged haul(Image: New South Wales Police)
A mum-of-two and her boyfriend could face 15 years in prison if found guilty of a scheme to flood Australia with nearly £6million worth of drugs, it has been revealed.
Police arrested Demi McDaid, 23, and Jack Farrelly, 30, when the ‘tourists’ arrived in Sydney last month. Locals contacted the police about what they claimed was the Scottish couple’s suspicious behaviour.
Officers claim they then discovered 2kg of ketamine at a holiday rental booked by the pair in the affluent North Shore suburb of Artarmon on June 26. An additional 105 kilos of the drug were allegedly later found in the boot of a car leased by Farrelly and parked in a hotel car park.
The tourists were allegedly found with a haul of drugs in the back of their rental car(Image: New South wales Police)
The Edinburgh-based couple were being held in an Australian prison following their arrests last month. It has now come to light that they could spend years in jail if convicted of being involved in supplying a “commercial quantity” of illegal drugs.
A source told The Scottish Sun: “Australia doesn’t take this type of crime lightly – if convicted, they could be facing a minimum of 15 years. A lot depends on the circumstances surrounding the case but they are looking at a very long sentence followed by certain deportation.
“It’s noteworthy that the arrest was made by New South Wales Police rather than Border Force or the Federal Police. This suggests it could be linked to local drug dealing rather than importation. If that’s the case, you would expect the investigation to be examining any connections the suspects may have had with people.”
Demi McDaid, 23, and boyfriend Jack Farrelly, 30, were arrested in Australia last month(Image: New South wales Police)
Officers allege the duo jetted to Australia with no local connections, relying on their “fresh faces” to evade detection or suspicion. But residents in Artarmon, around six miles north-west of Sydney’s central business district, tipped off police about alleged strange activities at the couple’s holiday rental.
In addition to the initial small quantity of ketamine, officers who raided the property reportedly found scales, disposable gloves, clear resealable bags with white crystallised residue and luggage. Three days later, they secured a warrant to search a nearby hotel where they confiscated several mobile phones, nearly £1,050 in Australian dollars and ledgers detailing drug transactions.
Police also searched a car in a hotel car park, allegedly rented by Farrelly, where around 105 kilos of the potent hallucinogen were stashed in the boot. The alleged discoveries led to McDaid and Farrelly being located, arrested and taken to the suburb’s Chatswood station for questioning.
Detective Acting Inspector Alison Dixon, of New South Wales Police, said: “We will allege that the couple travelled from the UK for the sole purpose of taking part in illegal drug supply.”
Police shared images from the raids online, with one showing a white substance inside clear evidence bags bearing the force logo. Crimefighters also posted photographs of cash spread across a table in $50 bills – amid claims they seized thousands in used banknotes as part of the ongoing major investigation.
Another photo depicts a compact white hatchback, its boot flung open and brimming with reusable shopping bags.
