Drug bust claims against notorious KTM syndicate heard in court

Shocking details of a notorious gang’s alleged operations – including “recruiting children” and using an altered vehicle to transport drugs and cash – have been heard in court.

Shocking details of the notorious KTM gang’s alleged operations – including kilos of drugs found and conversations about “recruiting children” – have been heard in court, as six alleged members were granted bail.

It is alleged the gang had access to guns and used a syndicate vehicle with a false bottom to transport drugs and cash, Brisbane Magistrates Court was told on Tuesday.

Police claim they had recorded some of the accused inside the vehicle, with alleged conversations including discussions about “recruiting children to push drugs,” debt collection, and threats.

Sixteen men were all charged with drug trafficking (serious organised crime) following police raids on Friday, May 30.

An image released by QLD Police after the raids.

The raids allegedly uncovered cash and drugs including $60,000 cash at a safe house, a kilo of meth in one of the alleged members’ bedrooms, and 700g of cocaine, the court was told.

Eight of the accused applied for bail on Tuesday – and six successfully walked free from the watch house by the end of the day.

Police had seized hauls of drugs including cocaine, meth and cannabis during Friday’s raids, which followed a year-long operation as part of operation Whiskey Vogue.

The raid of 25 southeast Queensland addresses also seized large amounts of cash, four Mercedes and a Range Rover, and dismantled two meth labs.

On Tuesday, Acting Magistrate Nigel Rees said it was alleged the gang had a pyramid-style structure, with alleged syndicate leaders Ayaaz Bhagoo and Shirwac Abdi Yusuf – both 23 and from Kuraby – at the “head of the snake”.

Supporters of the accused outside court on Tuesday. Picture: John Gass

Bhagoo and Yusuf are both currently in custody, with bail applications expected to proceed on Friday, June 6.

The accused who successfully applied for bail on Tuesday included Said Abdi Mohamud, Aydin Imran Celikovic, Exauce Osumaka Makiadi, Muhamad Mossi, Hamzah Motala, Jamal Abdirashid Shaarub.

Celikovic, 24, and his older brother Isak Jameel Celikovic – who has not applied for bail – are both accused of being the “bankers” of the syndicate.

Supporters of the accused outside court. Picture: John Gass

The court heard during Aydin Celikovic’s bail application that he had an “unexplained wealth” in his bank account and was alleged to have used the syndicate vehicle for dead drops.

Mr Rees said Celikovic was allegedly “subject to the listening device when they were talking about customer base, servicing drugs, negotiating proper prices, outstanding debts, standover tactics, police methodologies”.

An image supplied by police after the raids.

Defence lawyer Hugh Stitt said he took issue with that “general” allegation against Celikovic.

“It says that all of these people have said these things – all of them can’t be in the car at one time, so we’re not sure who said what,” Mr Stitt said.

Celikovic and the other successful applicants were granted bail under conditions including an ankle monitor, evening curfew, and no contact with co-accused.

The other successful applicants are all alleged to have had lower-level roles in the syndicate including being runners and drug suppliers.

Yusuf Yusuf, 20, and Abdirahm Aden Warsame, 24, were both denied bail and remanded in custody.

Mr Rees said Yusuf was alleged to be at the “bottom of the triangle,” but that there was a strong case against him.

“The case against him is he has large amounts of cash on his person, scales and empty clipseal bags,” Mr Rees said.

He expressed concern with the risks posed by Yusuf’s alleged access to guns.

“There’s a conversation about drugs and about using violence to enforce debt and access to guns – namely ‘shooters’.”

A car towed away during a raid.

Aden Warsame was described by Mr Rees as “middle management” and had allegedly been involved with two drug related calls.

Police allege Aden Warsame was seen being handed a clipseal bag containing white crystals on March 9, while in the company of alleged syndicate leader Shirwac Yusuf.

He was also alleged to have made “some comments about threats” in a conversation with a man about a debt owed to him.

The court heard Warsame had further had access to the syndicate vehicle and had been involved in conversations about “recruiting children to push drugs”.

Mr Rees said the strength of the evidence was very strong and denied his bail.

The co-accused are all listed for mention at Brisbane Magistrates Court on July 7.

Supporters of the accused outside court on Tuesday. Picture: John Gass

The men charged include:

Said Mohamud Abdi

Charged with trafficking dangerous drugs (serious organised crime), possessing anything used in the commission of a crime, obstructing police, and contravening an order about information used to access information stored electronically.

Abdullahi Ahmed Adan

Charged with trafficking dangerous drugs (serious organised crime), supplying dangerous drugs, possessing schedule 1 dangerous drugs (quantity of/exceeding schedule 3 but less than schedule 4), possessing anything used for the commission of a crime, possessing tainted property, and contravening an order about information used to access information stored electronically.

Abdirahman Aden Warsame

Charged with trafficking dangerous drugs (serious organised crime), five counts of supply dangerous drugs, two counts of affray and possessing tainted property, and one count each of possessing anything used for the commission of crime, obstructing police, evasion, and driving without a licence.

Sakariye Adam Ahmed

Charged with trafficking dangerous drugs (serious organised crime), possessing anything used for the commission of crime, contravening an order about information used to access information stored electronically.

Ayaaz Bhagoo

Charged with trafficking dangerous drugs (serious organised crime), nine counts of supplying dangerous drugs, four counts of possessing tainted property, two counts each of possessing anything used in the commission of a crime and possessing schedule 1 drugs (quantity of/exceeding schedule 3 but less than schedule 4), and one count each of contravening an order about information used to access information stored electronically, possessing property suspected of being used in the commission of a drug offence, and possessing dangerous drugs.

Aydin Imran Celikovic

Charged with trafficking dangerous drugs (serious organised crime), possessing anything used in the commission of a crime, possessing anything for use in the commission of a crime, and two counts of possessing tainted property.

Isak Jameel Celikovic

Charged with trafficking dangerous drugs (serious organised crime), serious assault/resist/obstruct police or person acting in aid of police, four counts of possessing dangerous drugs, three counts of possessing tainted property and contravening an order about information used to access information stored electronically, two counts of possessing utensils or pipes, and one count of possessing anything used in the commission of crime.

Mohamed Dawd Mohamed

Charged with trafficking dangerous drugs (serious organised crime), possessing anything used in the commission of a crime, and eleven counts of supplying dangerous drugs.

Mohammed Mosin Khan

Charged with trafficking dangerous drugs (serious organised crime), possessing schedule 1 dangerous drugs (quantity of/exceeding schedule 4), possessing anything used in commission of crime, possessing tainted property, possessing property suspected of having being used in the commission of a drug offence, contravening an order about information used to access information stored electronically, and two counts of possessing schedule 1 dangerous drugs (quantity of/exceeding schedule 3 but less than schedule 4).

Exauce Osumaka Makiadi

Charged with trafficking dangerous drugs (serious organised crime), possess anything used in the commission of a crime, and nine counts of supplying dangerous drugs.

Muhamad Mossi

Charged with trafficking dangerous drugs (serious organised crime), and possessing anything used in the commission of a crime.

Hamzah Motala

Charged with trafficking dangerous drugs (serious organised crime), seven counts of supplying dangerous drugs, five counts of possessing dangerous drugs, three counts of possessing schedule 1 dangerous drugs (quantity of/exceeding schedule 3 but less than schedule 4), and one count each of possessing anything for use in the commission of a crime, possessing tainted property, and possessing property suspected of having been used in connection with the commission of a drug offence.

Jamal Abdirashid Shaarub

Charged with trafficking dangerous drugs (serious organised crime), three counts of supplying dangerous drugs, two counts of possessing tainted property, and one count each of possessing anything for use in the commission of a crime, and contravening an order about information used to access information stored electronically.

Khaalid Shaarub

Charged with trafficking dangerous drugs (serious organised crime), two counts of trafficking dangerous drugs, 14 counts of supplying dangerous drugs, three counts of possessing schedule 1 dangerous drugs (quantity of/exceeding schedule 4) and possessing tainted property, and one count each of possessing anything used in the commission of crime, contravening an order about information necessary to access information stored electronically, and affray.

Shirwac Abdi Yusuf

Charged with trafficking dangerous drugs (serious organised crime), trafficking dangerous drugs, 12 counts of supplying dangerous drugs, two counts of possessing schedule 1 dangerous drugs (quantity of/exceeding schedule 4), four counts of possessing tainted property, and one count each of possessing anything for use in the commission of a crime and possessing anything used in the commission of a crime.

Yusuf Yusuf

Charged with trafficking dangerous drugs (serious organised crime), trafficking dangerous drugs, nine counts of supplying dangerous drugs, two counts each of possessing tainted property and receiving tainted property, and one count each of contravening an order about information stored electronically, possessing anything used in the commission of a crime, and receiving or possessing property obtained from trafficking or supplying.