EXCLUSIVE: Syd Club Re-Opens Tonight As Licensee Questions Police Raid - 'I'm Still In Disbelief'
"... , how do you justify the closure of my venue?”
Sydney nightclub Candys Apartment is set to re-open its doors tonight after it was shut down in a police raid over the weekend.
It is alleged that roughly 60 police officers stormed the Kings Cross hotspot on Saturday evening due to concerns that the venue was being used to supply drugs.
Authorities only made one arrest in the raid, a 21-year old male who was reportedly caught with 60 MDMA capsules, though it occurred outside Candys.
It has also been speculated that the man never entered the venue at any point in the evening.
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Speaking exclusively to The Music, Candys licensee Dainan Mancuso said of the police raid, "I am still left scratching my head in disbelief".
"… Police echoed their view that Candys Apartment was a safety risk to the community and that it is an ongoing investigation," he continues.
"I state, with zero arrests within my venue and a single arrest made up the end of Bayswater Road, how do you justify the closure of my venue?"
Mancuso has alleged that police informed him the man arrested outside the venue was well known to authorities and had been under surveillance for several months.
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It is also alleged police believe the man was planning to enter Candys to deal drugs.
"How could police be 100% certain Mr x was coming into my venue?" Mancuso says.
"We have always had a strong presence of undercover police in my venue and I have always welcomed their presence to look out for undesirables.
"During my time as licensee… I have incurred no major incidents, no assaults, no liquor licence breaches and no strikes."
Over the years, Candys Apartment has played host to a number of huge acts, including Skrillex, Deorro, Alison Wonderland and Bag Raiders.
Mancuso continues, "Candys Apartment is a raw, unpolished, underground club. No fancy cocktails, no VIP areas, no excess mirrors or marble.
"We are all about the music. Proud to say we have nurtured talent that is now playing main stages of festivals the world over."
The Music has contacted NSW police for comment.
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