Who’s who: Ecstasy kingpin, key players behind $500m seizure that was Qld’s largest in history

A criminal mastermind pulled the strings of a global drug syndicate from half a world away with a range of sophisticated tactics. But two words led Queensland Police to them.

A Dutch mastermind sat at the top of the syndicate food chain and pulled the strings from the other side of the world in a “mind-boggling” international drug operation using “water bridges”.

The head of the syndicate – who died in 2022 – used “old geezers” as foot soldiers – older men who lived in Asia and Indonesia and travelled to conduct the syndicate’s business.

Detective Acting Chief Superintendent Craig McGrath said the syndicate was extremely professional and complex, and not the stereotypical demographic police would normally expect.

They knew police methods and tactics, often making excuses to change hotel rooms, phones, or SIM cards to throw detectives off their scent.

“That’s where it’s necessary for law enforcement to adapt their strategies in targeting them. They were very much aware, or appeared to be aware, of police methodologies,” Superintendent McGrath said.

Queensland Police first made the connection between the MDMA seizure and the syndicate in October, 2019, after a strange term was mentioned in a meeting.

Detective Inspector Jason Hindmarsh was at a horrific alleged kidnapping and torture job when he heard the term “water bridges”.

It was the same two words Detective Hindmarsh had seen on Ciphr messages from the drug syndicate months earlier.

He had no idea what it meant, but knew it meant something.

“It all started falling into place,” he said.

“We didn’t know much about it, just that the drugs came in on water bridges.”

Authorities in Slovakia seize water bridges, including one containing 1500kg of amphetamine which was bound for Australia. Source: Supplied.

Police quickly worked out a connection with a Dutch man who owned a metal fabrication business.

He’d visited Australia before – twice in 2018 – around the time a large metal structure had been shipped into Melbourne the same year.

This metal structure was a “water bridge” – a $100K chunk of metal which could be stacked full of drugs and traverse the world on ships.

With the help of the Department of Home Affairs, police were able to track the movements of the Melbourne water bridge which led them to a Brisbane property where cranes and cutting equipment were hired.

Intelligence showed the water bridge was then shipped back off to Europe in 2019 – 3000kg lighter.

“We think that the import was 1500kg of MDMA and 1500kg of cocaine,” Detective Hindmarsh said.

Authorities in Slovakia cut open a water bridge containing 1500kg of amphetamine which was bound for Australia. Source: Supplied.

Police quickly learned these water bridges were being shipped across the globe, and alerted international authorities who intercepted a water bridge in Slovakia.

Local police found 1,500kg of amphetamines inside, which was bound for Australia, and arrested the Dutch man and another associate in 2020.

The syndicate had been cut off at the knees.

Inspector Hindmarsh said the drug operation was the most complex QPS had ever been involved in.

“It’s mind boggling, it’s their full time job, they have professionals and systems, it’s very complex,” Inspector Hindmarsh said.