Members of an alleged criminal syndicate involved in Sydney's illegal drug and firearms market have been arrested in early morning raids in a bid by police to halt a spate of recent drive-by shootings.

 Nine men, aged between 17 and 44, and two women, aged 23 and 34, were taken into custody after more than 100 police officers made simultaneous raids in driving rain on six houses at Villawood, Punchbowl and Bass Hill just after 7.30am today. Three of those houses were in one street at Villawood. Advertisement: Story continues below Police used a battering ram to knock down the front door of one home before arresting a man and woman inside. The 11 people arrested are expected to be charged with offences relating to the supply of prohibited drugs and firearms as well as operating in a criminal group. It is believed the syndicate is involved in the street level supply of heroin, ice and cannabis in the Villawood and Bankstown areas. Bankstown Superintendent Dave Eardley said the co-ordinated raids and subsequent arrests followed a nine-month investigation by detectives. "We have completely dismantled from the top down a locally based criminal syndicate involved in dealing firearms and drugs in Bankstown and Villawood over many months," he said. Officers attached to Operation Spartan, established in January to investigate a series of drive-by shootings predominantly in Sydney's west and south-west, are now investigating possible links between this group and gun crime.