Palatial Sydney mansion of millionaire entrepreneurs Garrett and Stephanie Jandegian raided by tactical police as part of organised crime probe
The palatial mansion of a prominent Sydney couple was raided by heavily armed tactical police in extraordinary scenes that rocked the ritzy neighbourhood, it has emerged.
Strike Force Raptor officers smashed down the front door of wealthy entrepreneurs Stephanie and Garrett Jandegian’s Bellevue Hill home at dawn on February 6, New South Wales Police have confirmed.
The shock raid at the property, which the couple purchased for $27 million, was part of a secretive operation, codenamed Strike Force Candice, by the Organised Crime Squad and the NSW Crime Commission.
The joint investigation is probing unexplained wealth and money laundering.
Mr and Ms Jandegian were not arrested or charged and there is no suggestion either has committed a crime.
The sensational no-knock warrant, carried out at 6am, has only now come to light thanks to reporting by The Australian.
“[It is not suggested] that either of the Jandegians are the primary persons of interest for Strike Force Candice,” the newspaper reported.
“Instead, it would appear that their home was tossed owing to their alleged affiliations with others being pursued by the broader investigation.”
A NSW Police spokesperson confirmed to news.com.au that the raid took place and that some items, including “a mobile phone and documents”, were seized.
News.com.au has approached the couple for comment.
Ms Jandegian is a former broadcast journalist who was last the bureau chief of Channel 9’s A Current Affair program. In the early 2000s, she also competed on Network Ten reality show So You Think You Can Dance.
She currently sits on the board of children’s charity The Starlight Foundation.
Her husband is an entrepreneur who co-founded the drinks brand Aqualove, an alkaline water range, in 2017, and is a director of antigen test and personal protective equipment supplier Pharma Soul.
Mr Jandegian left the Aqualove business three years ago.
The pair are prominent fixtures on Sydney’s social scenes and have appeared multiple times in real estate press for their lavish property purchases.
They bought their sprawling Bellevue Hill estate in 2022 for a reported $27 million, at the time setting a price record for the blue-chip suburb.
The 1500 square metre home boasts five bedrooms while the lush, landscaped grounds house a pool and tennis court.
After settlement, the couple submitted a development application for $7 million worth of alterations and additions.
Some 12 months later, they purchased a nearby four-bedroom Federation-style home for $15.1 million.
They have previously owned property in the ultra-wealthy enclave of Vaucluse and last year dropped $4.2 million on an apartment in the redeveloped Sirius building.
The former housing commission block, a divisive brutalist-style building with priceless views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House, has been transformed into luxury residences.