A rock n roll couple are facing life behind bars after getting arrested in a $5.5m drug ring.
The Art frontman Azaria Byrne and his lover Brooke Mitchell were amongst the nine people charged over an alleged large-scale drug operation.
Byrne has also played with the likes of The Pixies, Thirty Seconds To Mars, Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson.
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Now, the 45-year-old’s music career is all but dead in the water after finding himself caught up in a drug manufacturing and supply ring.
The couple were cuffed after a raid at Leichhardt music studio, in Sydney, Australia, yesterday (Mar 18), which led to the discovery of a secret room containing a huge stockpile of drugs, as reported by NeedToKnow.
Dogs from the New South Wales Police force sniffed out the contraband hidden behind a guitar-laden door.
The room contained 17kg of cannabis, 25kg of ketamine, 2.5kg of cocaine, 3.5kg of MDMA or ecstasy and 5.6kg of diazepam.
Around 18,000 tablets believed to contain LSD, magic mushrooms and meth were found alongside $200,000 in cash.
Raids at the couple’s homes and other members’ properties revealed more stacks of cash and substances, with cops seizing drugs worth around $5.5m.
The singer and his 28-year-old partner have been refused bail and were remanded for eight weeks following a video link hearing at Burwood Local Court today (19 Mar).
Byrne faces 10 counts of large commercial drug supply, whilst Brooke faces one.
The duo could face a maximum term of life in prison.
The alleged ringleader and Potts Point music producer Oliver Dibley did not apply for bail.
The 33-year-old is accused of knowingly directing the activities of a criminal group and 17 large commercial drug supply offences.
The trio are due back in court on 14 May.
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