Former NRL player Brandon Wakeham has been granted bail after his lawyer argued in court that there was no evidence linking him to a Sydney drug supply ring. The 25-year-old, who has previously played for the Bulldogs and Wests Tigers, was detained by police from Strike Force Verbena during a training session with the Blacktown Workers, a feeder club for the Manly Sea Eagles, at a park in Brookvale.
Following his arrest, Wakeham was taken to Manly Police Station and charged with multiple drug-related offenses, including participation in the supply of a prohibited drug in quantities exceeding both large commercial and indictable amounts, as well as being part of a criminal group.
Prosecutors claimed that Wakeham had loaned his car to two other suspects during drug transactions. However, his lawyer contended that there was no evidence Wakeham was aware of the illegal activities, noting that a search of his home yielded no incriminating findings.
The Manly Sea Eagles confirmed they had informed the NRL integrity unit about Wakeham’s arrest and expressed their intent to fully cooperate with the investigation.
Wakeham’s arrest was part of a larger joint investigation by the State Crime Command’s Drug & Firearms Squad, the Australian Federal Police, and the NSW Crime Commission. The investigation also led to the arrests of Sam Amine and podcaster Nabil Allouche, with police seizing significant quantities of drugs and cash. Amine’s assets, valued at approximately $10 million, have been frozen by the Crime Commission.
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