The bikie arrest that blew the Mongols apart

The destruction of a Mongol bikie’s drug empire had an impact much greater than was first thought – and the likes of Toby Mitchell and Sam Abdulrahim were among those who felt the shockwaves.

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The destruction of Josh Eddy’s Cobram drug empire had an impact much greater than was first thought and some big names felt the shockwaves.

Police are certain the damage ran far beyond the Eddy crew and helped blow the Mongols’ Victorian division apart in April 2022.

Key members Toby Mitchell, Mark Balsillie, Sam “The Punisher” Abdulrahim and Jason Addison would be shown the door by national boss Nick “The Knife” Forbes, an uncompromising Queenslander.

Echo Taskforce Detective Sergeant Ciaran Duryea said he believed the purge was prompted by the dismantling of the Cobram operation and the fallout in other areas.

“No doubt,” he said.

Toby Mitchell was ousted from the Mongols in 2022.

Addison – who had years earlier patched his Echuca Bandido members over to the Mongols – was severely bashed at a swap meet at Heathcote in the months after the split.

A property linked to him had been searched during the Echo inquiry into Eddy and his illicit interests.

Balsillie later moved to the rival Finks MC where it was last year revealed he was serving as the club’s national president.

Sam ‘The Punisher’ Abdulrahim survived a hail of bullets at his Thomastown home last year before being shot dead in Preston in January. Picture David Geraghty

Abdulrahim went solo, butting heads with exiled crime lord Kazem Hamad and his associates.

He survived a hail of bullets in a dead-of-night ambush at his Thomastown home last year before being murdered in an unsolved contract hit at Preston in January of this year.

Jason Addison was also shown the door by Nick ‘The Knife’ Forbes. Picture: Glenn Barnes

Nick ‘The Knife’ Forbes. Picture: Glenn Hunt

Meanwhile, Eddy is now serving a maximum sentence of nine years and six months after pleading guilty to state and commonwealth drug charges.

The Court of Appeal heard last year that Eddy had quit the Mongols in 2023 “on good terms”.

Cartel car detailing on Colgan St, where he was once cleaned up in more ways than one, is long closed.

Eddy’s 2019 Mercedes C63 AMG which brought extra attention in the good times was sold long ago. Its buyer was Abdulrahim.

The upshot is that drug bosses eyeing a country town cash cow may prefer to look beyond Cobram for some time.

Originally published as The bikie arrest that blew the Mongols apart