Bugged hitman call led cops to bust open drugs-by-plane smuggling operation
When surveillance cops heard Hong Kong hitmen were on the way to kill a drug dealer under investigation, they knew they had to move quickly. Read the exclusive story of how they busted open a massive smuggling operation that used modified planes to haul drugs and guns.
NSW
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When police intercepted a phone conversation between Sydney drug dealers about how two Hong Kong hitmen were on their way to kill one of them officers had to act.
Darren Rispen, Samir Moukhallaletti and Yousseff Sammak, along with 14 other people, had been identified as drug suppliers in Sydney’s western suburbs, with links to the Rebel bikie gang.
The conversations about the hitmen were vague, but centred on $500,000 which appeared to be missing, with police believing Rispen, the boss of the syndicate, was the target of the planned execution.
“Once we heard there was a danger of people being killed we did speed up things,” Detective Superintendent Jason Weinstein, the man in charge of Operation Rinis, said.
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“Essentially we discovered that Rispen was involved in the international side of things, buying planes and importing drugs. He also did some local manufacturing.
“Moukhallaletti was involved in the distribution locally.” He had connections with the Rebels bikie gang and was seen at clubhouse meetings.
After only a few months Strike Force Rinis discovered that the three relatively unknown figures — all of whom are now in jail — were involved in a huge operation which police estimate turned over more than $100 million buying light planes overseas and modifying them to haul drugs and guns.
Operation Rinis resulted in the seizure of more than $6 million in planes, exotic cars, cash and property.
After the chatter about hitmen, police seized a plane at Albion Park aerodrome south of Sydney and issued 17 arrest warrants around Sydney for people linked to the cartel involved in the importation, manufacturing of drugs and money laundering.
They included mortgage brokers, a gym chain owner, and other people fronting businesses used to launder the money.
The operation began in April 2014 and uncovered a complicated web of front companies here and overseas.
Rispen, 42, the mastermind in the international side of the business, lived it up in an expensive city apartment and played in Star City poker tournaments.
After skipping bail he was found living under a false name in Nelson Bay and is now serving 10 years in jail.
On July 5 the last remaining charges from the operation finished when Moukhallaletti was found guilty in the NSW District Court of dealing with the proceeds of crime, and sentenced to two years’ jail on top of the 10 years he received earlier after pleading guilty to commercial supply of drugs.
Moukhallaletti, who was arrested with his wife Kristen in 2014 as they were boarding a liner for a family cruise in the Pacific, has lodged an appeal against the latest verdict.
His arrest followed a police sting after Moukhallaletti got a former neighbour Jason King to drive nearly 2kg of methamphetamine to Western Australia in a secret compartment in a Mazda ute.
King stopped at his girlfriend’s place in the Southern Highlands. While he was inside police seized the Mazda and King’s girlfriend reported it stolen. Court documents reveal there was then a series of frantic phone calls from all the players involved, including Moukhallaletti . They attempted to get local CCTV footage to see if they could track down the thieves themselves. They also posted a $5000 reward on Facebook.
Police later dumped the car near Bulli and rang King’s girlfriend to say it had been found. King was ordered to ring a friendly tow truck driver arranged by Moukhallaletti.
As King was bending down to inspect the inside wheel compartment he was arrested by police.
Two weeks later the whole operation, both internationally and domestically came to halt with Moukhallaletti’s arrest.
Originally published as Bugged hitman call led cops to bust open drugs-by-plane smuggling operation
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