Former Home and Away actor on 10 charges after cocaine raids

SEVEN men – including a former Home and Away actor – have been charged after police allegedly seized cash and hundreds of grams of cocaine during home and business raids in northern NSW.

A NSW Police statement said officers attached to the North Coast Region Enforcement Squad launched Strike Force Kelly and Tulipa last

October to investigate supply of cocaine in Byron Bay, Mullumbimby and Bangalow.

Former Home and Away actor Putu Winchester-Stanton, who also appeared in Heartbreak High and Water Rats, was among the arrests.

Police say their “extensive inquiries” resulted in search warrants being executed at a Byron Bay business and homes in Byron, Bangalow and Mullumbimby on April 22.

“During these warrants, police located and seized 340g of cocaine, more than $25,000 cash and other proceeds of crime,” the statement says.

Winchester-Stanton, 44, who is believed to have recently opened a store in Byron Bay, was arrested at Mullumbimby. He faces 10 charges including supply a commercial supply of a prohibited drug and knowingly direct the activities of a criminal group.

Winchester-Stanton made no application for bail when appearing at Byron Bay Local Court on Monday and bail was refused.

He was remanded to July 5. Three men, all 30, were arrested at a Bangalow property and one was charged with 17 offences, including supply prohibited drugs on an ongoing basis and supply indictable quantity prohibited drug.

The other two men were charged with supply indictable quantity prohibited drug.

Police arrested a man, 32, at a Mullumbimby home. He was charged with 16 offences, including supply commercial quantity prohibited drug and participate in a criminal group.

A second 44-year-old man was also arrested at a Mullumbimby home and charged with supply indictable quantity prohibited drug and participate in a criminal group.

Lastly, a man, 26, was arrested and charged with intend as instrument of crime money/ property, possess prohibited drug and possess/attempt to prescribed restricted substance.

All seven are to face northern NSW courts in future.

Northern Region operations manager Detective Acting Superintendent Greg Thomas said the arrests would “impact the availability of illicit drugs (in) Byron Bay”.