John Ibrahim’s mansion raided, brothers and son arrested after international police operation
SYDNEY’S infamous family of the Cross is in tatters after a global police operation left three of the Ibrahim clan behind bars last night as part of the co-ordinated international raids.
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SYDNEY’S infamous family of the Cross is in tatters after a global police operation left three of the Ibrahim clan behind bars last night as part of the co-ordinated international raids.
Brothers Michael and Fadi Ibrahim were arrested by anti-narcotics police in Dubai, while in Sydney, police arrested and charged their nephew, ex-soldier Daniel Ibrahim, and tore apart the luxury home of Daniel’s infamous club-owner father John Ibrahim as part of the operation targeting organised crime and drug smuggling.
There were 17 people arrested in the operation, which took place across Sydney, Dubai and the Netherlands, including:
• A cousin of the Ibrahims, Sleiman Tajjour, the former national president of the Nomads bikie gang, who was also charged.
• Mustapha Dib and Steven Elmir, two men known to Sydney police.
• John Ibrahim’s model girlfriend and bar owner Sarah Budge, 27, was charged at Double Bay with illegally possessing a Glock pistol, but the charge is unconnected to the drug syndicate.
The former Kings Cross nightclub boss-turned autobiography author known as “Teflon John” was not arrested and has not been charged.
The co-ordinated dawn raids followed the massive seizure in the Netherlands last month of 1.8 tonnes of ecstasy, 136kg of cocaine and 15kg of crystal methamphetamine heading for Australia with a street value of up to $810 million.
The container without the drugs arrived in Australia this week, sparking the raids.
Australian Federal Police assistant commissioner Neil Gaughan said the men were not untouchable.
“The people we allege are part of this syndicate that are well-known to law enforcement, and for decades this group has flaunted their wealth and activities, telling the community they were untouchable,” Mr Gaughan, the national AFP manager for organised crime, alleged.
“Today, it should be obvious that they are not.”
During a frank press conference, Mr Gaughan said it was an “outstanding success” that so many members of the Ibrahim family had been arrested and heralded it as a “great day for law enforcement”.
“These are very strong charges,” he said.
“The brief of evidence, I’m confident, will stick.”
The arrests follow a 12-month investigation known as Operation Veyda which Mr Gaughan alleged had destroyed two interlinked crime syndicates operating across Australia, Dubai and the Netherlands.
MORE ON THE RAIDS
* Drug raids: What we know about those targeted by police
* Raids change the face of Sydney’s criminal empires
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Dubai police with the assistance of the AFP also arrested Mustapha Dib and Steven Elmir.
At the same time in Sydney, Ahmad “Rock” Ahmad was arrested at his Bankstown home.
In Sydney alone, 30 search warrants were executed on homes and businesses in Arncliffe, Bankstown, Bellevue Hill, Double Bay, Dover Heights, Enmore, Greystanes, Greenacre, Merrylands, Old Guildford, Parramatta, Punchbowl, South Hurstville, South Wentworthville, Sydney, Woolloomooloo, Rose Bay, Potts Point and Vaucluse.
Mr Gaughan said it would be alleged in court that the syndicate worked closely to arrange, purchase and organise the importation of the drugs across a number of cargo container shipments between November 2016 and August 2017.
Extradition proceedings are expected to begin in Dubai and take up to 60 days.
Late yesterday the first two of the men charged to appear in court in Sydney were refused bail.
* Additional reporting ROSE BRENNAN and EMMA PARTRIDGE
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