Helen Louise Eason is charged with 14 drug-related offences and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of supplying drugs on an ongoing basis, but was released from a women’s prison earlier this week after a successful bid for bail in the NSW Supreme Court.

The 39-year-old has been in custody since she was intercepted by authorities at Sydney International Airport after returning to Australia from overseas on February 7.

Eason had been refused bail in the local court earlier this year and lodged an application for release in the state’s Supreme Court in March.

But after a brief bail hearing in April, the matter was adjourned until this week.

On Monday, after hearing submissions, Justice Lucy McCallum granted bail with five conditions, ordering Eason to live in Gunnedah while the case progresses through the courts.

As part of her bail conditions, Eason must report to police three days a week, appear in court when required and not take any illegal drugs.

Police will allege in court Eason supplied drugs on an ongoing basis in Gunnedah.

She is also charged with four counts of dealing with property that is the suspected proceeds of crime, five counts of supplying a prohibited drug of different weights, knowingly deal with the proceeds of crime and two counts of owner or occupier knowingly expose a child to drugs.

Eason is also accused of recruiting a minor to sell a prohibited drug, namely ice.

Six people have now been charged as part of the eight-month investigation, codenamed Strike Force Codes. 

The covert investigation was launched in May last year by Oxley detectives to track those responsible for the illegal supply of ice across the Gunnedah area.

The police operation was made public when 30 officers raided two properties in Hopedale Ave, Gunnedah on February 3.

Detectives are currently preparing the brief of evidence against Eason before the case returns to court later this month.