MORE DAWN RAIDS. EIGHT ARRESTED IN SWOOP ON DRUGS.

IN A second series of dawn raids, 100 police officers stormed a dozen
Sydney homes yesterday in a bid to break the back of the city's drug
trade and organised crime. Seven men and one woman were arrested.
Detectives seized a large amount of rock heroin, cocaine and
ammunition as well as a replica pistol, jewellery and drug-related
cash believed to add up to at least $1 million.

One of the men arrested yesterday was interviewed about the attempted
murder of underworld figure Louie Bayeh outside a restaurant in Narwee
on July 2. No one has been charged in relation to the shooting but
detectives confirmed investigations were continuing.

More than 100 heavily armed police and Customs officers met at the
Sydney Police Centre in Surry Hills at 5am before being briefed and
deployed two hours later to 14 homes and a brothel in Kings Cross,
Camperdown, Bankstown, Punchbowl and Sydney CBD.

Yesterday's police swoop came a day after 200 police arrested 19
people on 78 charges related to drug distribution and gang-related
shootings and violence.

That raid saw homes in six south-western suburbs raided and several
streets cordoned off.

Crime Agencies acting commander Chief Superintendent Rod Harvey said
yesterday the two days of raids were a coincidence and were the
culmination of months of inquiries.

"Crime Agencies will continue to work with local area commands and
regions to destroy major drug trafficking syndicates working in these
areas," Chief Supt Harvey said. "There will be more operations and
more arrests to come and this is our continuation of our attack on
organised crime."

Deputy Police Commissioner Ken Moroney said yesterday's effort would
see the dismantling of another Kings Cross drug distribution syndicate.

"Since the beginning of this year, Kings Cross police have arrested
and charged 374 people with drug-related offences," he said.

Seven people, including a 21-year-old Granville woman, appeared in
courts across Sydney late yesterday.

They were all charged with conspiring to supply heroin and/or cocaine
and were remanded in custody.

A 31-year-old Punchbowl man was also charged with having a replica
pistol and drug money believed to total at least $1.1 million.

The other men arrested were aged between 22 and 36.

A police spokesman said late last night the purity and weight of the
drugs seized had not been finalised, neither had the amount of cash,
believed to have been part of the drug syndicate's weekly take.