The Australian authorities maintain that Ward operated a sophisticated drug distribution network on dark web
Australian authorities have seized a house on
the beach, luxury cars and $100k USD dollars to a young computer science
prodigy accused of operating a drug distribution network on dark
web, reported network
security and ethical hacking experts from the International Institute
of Cyber Security.
Cody Ward, a native of New South Wales, was
arrested last February 14th after the Australian authorities
discovered his alleged illegal business.
The 25-year-old continually showed off in his
social network accounts his luxurious life, full of sports cars and
international trips, assuring that he served as a network security firm CEO.
However, the luxuries that Ward showed in Instagram were seized by the Crime Commission
of New South Wales, arguing that all the assets that the young presumed were
bought with illegal money, obtained in the drug market.
Ward was arrested in Callala Bay after a
nine-month investigation that guided the authorities to five different
properties, where they found drugs, drug packaging and distribution utilities and
cash (about $100k USD in total).
The police initially indicated that Ward, known
in dark web as ‘NSWGreat’, in complicity with other subjects, was trading
narcotics in various illicit activities forums, which would have generated
gains of about $17M USD.
According to network security experts, Ward
even bragged about his activities using his alias on Reddit,
stating that the authorities would never be able to find him.
Ward has been charged with four drug
distribution offenses, for making transactions with illegally obtained money
and for his participation in a criminal group. The defendant was confiscated a
five-room house in Calla Bay, Australia, purchased for $800k USD at the end of
last year, plus three sports cars and $100k USD in cash.
Sisters Shanese (24 years old) and Patricia
Koullaris (20 years old), codefendants in this investigation, have also been
charged for crimes related to the sale of drugs.
