JiveBlog

A Lamborghini-driving alleged bikie associate who was arrested during the country’s biggest crackdown on organised crime has had his bail conditions relaxed so he can work

Ashley Rake, 35, was charged with a raft of offences, including serious drug charges, when officers raided his Vaucluse unit in June last year as part of a two-day raid across Sydney by Operation Ironside.

Detectives seized designer clothes, Rolex watches and a Lamborghini Huracan LP 580-2 Coupe DJE18S, which is alleged to be the proceeds of crime.

He faced the NSW Supreme Court in December and was granted strict conditional bail.

At the time, his barrister Avni Djemal claimed the strength of the prosecution case was weak and text message conversations on an encrypted AN0M device did not prove Mr Rake was involved in drug supply.

The Crown prosecution argued that Mr Rake had unexplained wealth and large fortnightly deposits had been made into his bank account despite him not seemingly making any money from his carpentry business.

“There is a great discrepancy between what appears to be going on with the business and these large amounts deposited,” prosecutor Stephen Makin said.

Mr Rake was granted bail in December and told he must use an electronic monitoring device, report to police daily, not associate with his co-accused, not possess any encrypted devices and supply police with his work schedule.

He again appeared in the Supreme Court on Tuesday and argued to have the last condition quashed.

The court was told Mr Rake had a construction job with B. Moore Projects, and due to not knowing his movements, he asked for the requirement of “providing police with a schedule of movements each hour of each day in the week ahead” to be removed.

A police prosecutor told the court that there was one slight breach of bail where Mr Rake did not report to police, but Justice Elizabeth Fullerton was happy to “pass over” it.

“A restriction of this kind now interfering with Mr Rake’s wish to become gainfully employed in an industry that we all know one cannot predict in advance when supplies are available, when work can be slotted into an already overburdened construction schedule,” Justice Fullerton said.

“The variation is fair.”

Police say the multinational operation was centred on infiltrating the criminal underworld through the ANOM app, which was thought by its users to be an encrypted messaging service however was being monitored by police.

Police allege Mr Rake was involved in the supply of methamphetamine and cocaine and was a Comanchero bikie gang associate.

He has been charged with supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, participating in a criminal group, knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime and publishing misleading material to obtain advantage.

In December the court was told that Mr Rake was involved in message conversations during which one person asked: “Have you got I?”

The other person replied: “How much do you need?”

During the conversation one person sent a picture of a white powder and there was discussion of the buyer requesting “10 units”, the court was told.

“There was no further message to say there was an agreement to supply. Those messages taken at their highest, there is no actual supply,” Mr Djemal said.

The prosecution has alleged that the ANOM device was used at Mr Rake’s unit and at a Kiama residence where he stayed on holiday.

However, Mr Djemal argued that the encrypted device found at Mr Rake’s home was not his and the other device he was alleged to have used was never found.

Mr Rake will reappear in the Local Court in August.

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