Police have charged eight people over their alleged roles in the manufacture and supply of prohibited drugs after more than $5.5 million worth seized following an investigation under Strike Force Dulce. Two of those charged are Azaria Byrne, frontman of the band The Art, and his fiancée Brooke Mitchell, both based in Sydney.
Yesterday (Wednesday 18 March 2026), strike force detectives executed eight search warrants at properties in Potts Point, Earlwood, Dulwich Hill, Leichhardt, Marrickville and Balmain. Just after 7am, search warrants were executed at a Leichhardt music studio, homes at Earlwood and Dulwich Hill, and two Marrickville properties.
The scale of the alleged operation became clear once officers began their searches. At Leichhardt, officers allegedly located and seized about 25kg of ketamine, more than 17kg of cannabis, 2.5kg of cocaine, 3.5kg of MDMA, 5.6kg of diazepam, more than 500g of psilocybin, almost 70g of methamphetamine, over 18,000 tablets believed to contain LSD, and $200,000 cash.
The investigation centres on what police allege was a sophisticated drug distribution network. Strike Force Dulce was established in August 2025 by the Central Metropolitan Region Enforcement Squad to investigate the alleged supply of prohibited drugs across Sydney. During the investigation, strike force detectives identified a group allegedly responsible for the coordination, manufacture and supply of commercial drugs, including ketamine, cocaine, MDMA, and LSD.
Byrne and Mitchell remain before the courts. The matter now proceeds through Australia's criminal justice system, where the presumption of innocence applies and the prosecution will bear the burden of establishing the allegations beyond reasonable doubt. Investigations under Strike Force Dulce continue.