Granny, 75, accused of running drugs for Alameddine crime network
A 75-year-old grandmother is accused of being part of a prison drug smuggling ring allegedly being run by the Sydney based Alameddine crime family.
NSW
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A 75-year-old grandmother is accused of being part of a prison drug smuggling ring allegedly being run by the Sydney based Alameddine crime family.
Kathleen Woods, her son Chad, 44, Robert Kenney 66 and Kerrie-Anne Manning, 50 were last week arrested by State Crime Command detectives for allegedly smuggling dozens of buprenorphine, or bupe strips, into a NSW prison.
Police claim in facts tendered to court reveal the that 75 year-old Woods was the alleged first recipient of the drugs from one-time bodyguard to suspected crime boss Rafat Alameddine — Ali Elmoubayed — last year.
Elmoubayed, 31, has not been charged with any offence.
A known associate of rapper Ali Younes, he was arrested during raids by Strike Force Wessex in March this year with 14 other people alleged to be involved in the running of the Alameddine crime network.
Police allege that while Woods’ son, Chad was in jail, he met Ryan Kenney, who is expected to be charged this week for his alleged role in the drug network.
The facts state Ms Woods then allegedly passed the drugs onto Robert Kenney and Kerrie-Anne Manning, before driving them to visit their son Kenney at Newcastle’s Hunter Correctional Facility, where they allegedly smuggled 100 bupe strips into the prison.
Bupe strips contain powerful opioid which is often used to treat heroin withdrawal.
It is highly prized by prisoners, with a single strip fetching anywhere from $400 to $1200 each, according to a former prisoner who said it is most commonly smoked by inmates.
Police allege between May and July last year the drug ring made $24,000 for the Alameddines, with the funds funnelled back to Adam Alahmad, 28, the brother-in-law of Rafat Alameddine.
Alahmad was charged by police in July this year with knowingly direct activities of a criminal group, benefit from criminal group and supply prohibited drug.
Detectives from Strike Force Wessex, set up in April last year to smash ‘dial-a-dealer’ operations and other drug supply rings in NSW, this month arrested both of the Woods, Kenney and Manning, alleging all four were involved in smuggling bupe into the prison.
Grandmother Woods was arrested last Monday in South Penrith and charged with supplying prohibited drugs of a small quantity, before being granted conditional bail to appear in Penrith Local Court on September 24.
Her son Chad was arrested the next day when he handed himself into Parramatta Police Station and was also charged with participating in a criminal group and supplying prohibited drugs.
The next day, Kenney and Manning were arrested after police raided a premises in Orange, NSW, before they were arrested and charged with supplying prohibited drugs of a small quantity. The pair were granted bail to appear at a later date.
Police are still investigating the group’s bupe strip supply network through the Criminal Groups Squad and more arrests are expected soon.
After the separate arrests of alleged major players in the Alameddine crime family by detectives from Strike Force Wessex, police revealed they sent 50,00 text messages using new technology to 26 “Dial-a-dealer” phones telling customers that police knew the phone number was involved in drug supply and to cease contact immediately.
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