Two airport workers and their associates allegedly spent months planning to smuggle a mammoth amount of cocaine into the country in a freight container, unaware authorities were watching their every move.
Police-tapped conversations detail the group’s alleged plot to import 100kg of cocaine – worth an estimated $40 million – from South Africa.
The AFP busted an alleged $40m cocaine plot at Sydney Airport last October.
Those charged over the October 2023 plot include alleged drug boss Ahmed Haouchar, baggage handler Michael McPherson, drivers Darren Bragg and Ziad el-Mustapha, and David Cain, an alleged conduit between Haouchar and the others.
They all face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if convicted of conspiring to import a commercial quantity of an illegal drug. El-Mustapha has been charged with importing the drug.
According to the crown case statement tendered to the NSW Supreme Court as Cain was granted strict bail last week, police launched Operation Lucian in October 2022, when Bragg and McPherson were allegedly caught on CCTV handling two green bags of undeclared cargo at Sydney Airport.
Bragg was initially a pilot driver for Wymap Group, while McPherson worked for Jets Transport as a freight handler.
Police found 100kg of cocaine inside bags stashed in a van.
Their “suspicious movements” sparked police monitoring.
On November 5, 2022, Bragg allegedly arranged for McPherson and Cain, described as Bragg’s “best mate,” to meet up.
After this meeting, McPherson’s friendship with Bragg became shaky as he became difficult to contact, but the pair eventually reconnected.
The group allegedly tried unsuccessfully to recruit another freight mover with Wymap Group, but he “shied away” and went overseas.
According to the crown, a drug importation was planned via a Qantas flight on June 10, but this did not work out.
Officers swooped on their suspects at an airport freight terminal.
Cain allegedly called Bragg that morning and said a mate had “come around last night… we’re not on”. Bragg allegedly responded that he was “f---in’ gone” and told his partner on the phone that it was the worst day of his life.
Bragg was fired from Wymap Group on the day of that failed job, but McPherson arranged for him to be employed with Jets Transport.
On August 31, Cain met Haoucher at Southpoint shopping centre in Hillsdale and discussed a “Plan B,” with Haoucher allegedly saying, “The way I’m looking at it, we’ve lost three hundred grand.”
Cain allegedly expressed concern about being caught, to which Haoucher allegedly said somebody congratulated Cain when “we done [sic] the first one”.
The cocaine was found wrapped in bags inside the van.
From then on, the group largely discussed plans over Threema, an encrypted messenger application, with the crown accusing Haoucher of using the handle “Deniro” and Cain of using “Wally Lewis”.
Haoucher allegedly messaged Cain about his plan to arrange a “new partner” in Dubai with a “proven track record and work experience out of joburg [sic].” He allegedly said he was “working all weekend to make it happen”.
Ahmed Haouchar
On September 23, the group organised a “dummy run,” with a freight container containing an empty black shoulder bag unloaded from a Qantas flight at Sydney Airport, placed on the baggage carousel and left uncollected. The bag was eventually taken to an unclaimed baggage area and seized by the AFP.
The next day, Haoucher allegedly told Cain they were “locked in for next week,” to which Cain responded: “Brilliant. Your [sic] the man, we make a good team.”
But the next week, the job fell apart.
Their associates working from Johannesburg were concerned about freight changes that meant the container might land in Sydney with a broken seal.
Using coded language about horse-racing, Bragg allegedly confirmed with Cain the smuggling would still go ahead.
“But yeah mate the vet and everyone else completely cleared it,” he allegedly said.
Police seized several mobile phones following the bust.
The “exit team” in South Africa would not risk it, however, and Haoucher told Bragg it wasn’t happening. “Ok very disappointed,” Bragg allegedly responded, before passing on the “bad news” to Cain, saying “they’ve scratched the horse”.
Soon enough, the seal issue had been fixed and they were on for next weekend.
At midday on October 7, El-Mustapha sat in a white van at the front of the Qantas Freight International Terminal.
As their cargo arrived, the crown alleges Bragg drove McPherson to the freight container on the tarmac, put it on a tug and drove it to the Qantas freight terminal.
McPherson allegedly removed several bags containing the cocaine and placed them into the white van with El-Mustapha a short time later.
Just as El-Mustapha began reversing the van, the men were surrounded by AFP vehicles and were arrested.
Having seized their phones, police messaged Haoucher and Cain purporting to be their associates, luring the former to Rushcutters Bay Park and latter to Bragg’s Coogee home and arresting them.
The Crown alleges Bragg and Cain shared a phone and the Threema handle “Wally Lewis” to communicate with Haoucher, but Cain’s defence team argued there was no evidence Cain used the phone.
Justice Natalie Adams granted Cain strict bail, noting the “relatively strong” prosecution case but also his solid family support, with his partner’s sister offering a $300,000 surety to secure his release.
Cain must wear a GPS electronic monitoring device, abide by a 6am-9pm curfew, report to police twice a day, not go near international departure points and not possess more than one mobile phone.
Haoucher, who was bailed to a rehabilitation facility in December, is a brother of Bilal, a notorious gangster believed to have been arrested in Lebanon last year as part of a different alleged criminal syndicate.
A third brother, Nadal, was also arrested in Sydney as part of that alleged crime network.
None of the men arrested over the October 2023 importation have entered pleas. They will face court next month.