ECSTASY SOLD IN SYDNEY STORE

Ecstasy and marijuana are reportedly being sold openly from a convenience
store in one of Sydney's busiest streets.

The 24-hour retail outlet in Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, is a front for a
major drug-dealing racket, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

Its reporters conducted a covert investigation of the store over four
nights and witnessed packets of the illegal drugs being handed out to 60
customers, including teenagers, over five hours.

Marijuana was sold in $20 sachets and ecstasy pills at $40 each, the paper
said.

A reporter was able to buy two bags of marijuana over the counter after
asking for it by the code word, Tally-Ho, and an ecstasy tablet after
asking for pills, the newspaper said.

The counter assistant, a man in his 20s of Middle Eastern appearance,
reportedly stashed the money below the counter - not in the till - and
carried on serving customers with groceries.

Some drugs customers appeared to be as young as 16 while others were
middle-aged.

Police said they were unaware the store was selling drugs and asked for
time to make inquiries, but the newspaper said it decided to publish
without delay because of the dangers of drug abuse.