Medicinal cannabis wholesaler Ardezen has said it is “fully cooperating with all relevant authorities” after police allegedly uncovered large amounts of Ardezen-branded packaging during a raid on the home of a suspected drug dealer.
The alleged discovery was made as officers searched the southern Sydney home of 40-year-old Joseph Younes, who was arrested last week on drug supply charges.
It also emerged during a hearing in Central Local Court – and reported by The Daily Telegraph – that Younes allegedly visited a number of banks over a 12-month period and deposited $1.8 million into an Ardezen account.
Police claim Younes was involved in supplying 1400kg of illegal cannabis.
He was denied bail and the case adjourned until September 25.
There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Ardezen.
The Melbourne-based wholesaler, founded by former MediPharm Labs Asia Pacific directors Warren Everitt and James Lee, said in a statement that it operates “under strict regulatory and ethical standards and maintains a zero policy for any conduct that breaches legal or professional obligations”.
“We are aware of the current police investigations and can confirm that we are fully cooperating with all relevant authorities,” the company said. “We take these matters seriously and are committed to ensuring full compliance across all areas of our business.
“Ardezen has robust systems in place to uphold the integrity of our operations and will not hesitate to take appropriate action if required.
“Throughout this process we remain focused on delivering safe, reliable and compliant services to our patients and pharmacy partners.”
Ardezen said it would not comment further “while investigations are ongoing”.