Global crime crackdown: Brothers arrested linked to Customs corruption allegations

POLICE claim they have taken out the top echelon of a sophisticated crime syndicate spanning two continents and locked up the allegedly crooked customs officials who let them flourish.

DT ONLINE ART FOR DIGITAL STORY.

• Syndicate allegedly bribed ABF officers to smuggle drugs
• Police set ‘zero hour’ to swoop on crime figures

POLICE claim they have taken out the top echelon of a sophisticated crime syndicate spanning two continents and locked up the allegedly crooked customs officials who let them flourish.

More than 200kg of MDMA, 80kg of cocaine and nearly $3 million in cash was seized as police arrested nine people including the alleged ringleaders of the group headed by the Jomaa family.

The syndicate’s alleged kingpin Koder Jomaa, 47, was arrested in Dubai on Tuesday as his brothers Ali Jomaa, 42, and Abbas Jomaa, 54, were arrested in Sydney’s south.

Police allege they found 200kg of MDMA, 80kg of cocaine and nearly $3 million in cash.

Alleged kingpin Koder Jomaa.

Jomaa is awaiting extradition alongside Fadi and ­Michael Ibrahim, who were arrested on the same day as part of a separate operation targeting international drug smuggling.

Ali and Abbas Jomaa have been charged with drug importation, money laundering, conspiracy to defraud and smuggling, while authorities in Dubai prepare to extradite their brother within 58 days.

ABF team leader Craig Eakin, 42, who is facing six charges in relation to helping a crime syndicate sneak black-market tobacco into Australia, and former customs investigator turned NSW Police employee Joh-ayna Merhi, 41, were also ­arrested in Sydney.

A man arrested in Mascot arrest as part of the raids.

Police allege in court ­papers that Eakin took $100,000 cash and a $4000 mountain bike as bribes from the syndicate in July.

It will be alleged Eakin, a 19-year veteran of the border agencies, was able to inform his crime bosses whether law enforcement had flagged containers of their drugs were in and was able to provide inside information that helped the syndicate, which operated out of Dubai and Sydney, but also had links to the Gold Coast. He has been stood down without pay and denied bail until his case returns to court on October 25.

It will be alleged Eakin was able to inform his crime bosses whether law enforcement had flagged containers of their drugs

Former Border Force agent Craig Eakin is arrested by police.

Ali Jomaa and Abbas Jomaa were named in the court papers as the two men Eakin allegedly advised on how to get the contraband past customs.

A police source said after Merhi left customs she became the bridge between the Jomaas and Eakin.

READ MORE: Story behind the fall of the Ibrahims

The New South Wales Joint Organised Crime Group allege they have dismantled a global criminal syndicate, with eight people arrested in Sydney and one in Dubai.

Merhi, who started a job as multicultural liaison officer with the NSW Police last month, faces charges of conspiracy to bribe, smuggling, assisting a criminal group and dealing in proceeds of crime.

The arrest of the border officials comes as a new blowtorch, which will include ongoing drug and alcohol testing on thousands of ABF staff, started on Monday, amid concerns crime syndicates are corrupting officers with drug money.

The Jomaa family has been on police radars for a decade, making the arrests more valuable than the massive illicit goods seizure.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) Assistant Commissioner Neil Gaughan announces the major raids.

Police allege they seized drugs, cash and firearms.

Koder Jomaa quit Sydney for Dubai three years ago after the collapse of his marriage and set up healthy eatery and ­delivery service Fit Food Kitchen in exclusive Jumeirah Lake Towers.

“He is well known to law enforcement and previously thought he could flee from authorities and conduct his criminal enterprise offshore,” AFP Assistant Commissioner Neil Gaughan said. The ­arrests mean all four Jomaa brothers are now behind bars because of proven or alleged drug running.

Mohamad Jomaa is still serving time over a 50kg ­cocaine bust in 2010.

Merhi, from Hurstville, left border control in 2015.

Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Gaughan.

“Her association with the Jomaa family is well-known,” Mr Gaughan said.

Both Eakin and Merhi came to the ABF’s attention during a 2014 integrity review but authorities have lacked the evidence to act until now.

One of the alleged syndicate members, Gold Coast man Keith Findley, was nabbed by heavily armed police as he allegedly went to collect the 200kg of MDMA with a $60 million street value at Mascot earlier this week.

When police stormed a Rosebery house linked to Findley they found the 80kg of ­cocaine believed to have been sourced from South America.