Members of Ibrahim, Dib and Ahmad families arrested in mass synchronised raids
UPDATE: The brother of slain standover man Walid “Wally” Ahmad has been refused bail in a Sydney court charged in connection to one of the biggest organised crime busts in Australian history.
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THE brother of slain standover man Walid “Wally” Ahmad has been refused bail in a Sydney court charged in connection to one of the biggest organised crime busts in Australian history.
Ahmad “Rock” Ahmad did not want to appear before Central Local Court but Magistrate Clare Farnan said, “well it’s happening”.
Ahmad is the first of 15 men to appear in court today charged in connection to two international drug syndicates.
Dawn raids across Sydney today have targeted the city’s biggest names in organised crime while two members of the Ibrahim family have been arrested in Dubai in three massive police operations.
Up to 32 homes have been raided and a dozen people in custody as police swooped on addresses across Sydney from 6am.
At the same time in Dubai, five men including two of John Ibrahim’s brothers Fadi and Michael Ibrahim and Mustapha Dib were arrested on the street after enjoying dinner together.
In a press conference today, the AFP confirmed more than 1.8 tonnes of narcotics were seized in raids, with 17 arrests across Australia, Dubai and the Netherlands.
In Sydney, nine men and one woman were arrested, while five men were arrested in Dubai.
No one will be extradited from the Netherlands.
As part of Operation Veda, 30 search warrants were executed across Sydney today.
The investigation began in mid 2016 with the alleged illegal activity continuing right until the past few days.
A container of drugs was seized by authorities in the Netherlands in July and it was allegedly bound for Australia in shipping containers.
There has also been $7 million in cash and properties seized as the result of the investigation, AFP Assistant Commissioner National Manager Organised Crime and Cyber, Neil Gaughan, said.
This also lead to the seizure today of five firearms, including a rifle; small amounts of drugs; and hundreds of thousands in cash in Sydney.
A total of 1.8 tonnes of MDMA, 136kg of cocaine and 15kg of crystal methamphetamines was seized by authorities in the Netherlands, with a street value of $810 million.
Mr Gaughan said: “The people we allege are part of this syndicate are Middle Eastern organised crime figures that are well-known to law enforcement, and for decades this group has flaunted their wealth and activities, telling the community they were untouchable. Today, it should be obvious that they are not.
“This result could not have been achieved without the comprehensive and on-going support of our partners in the UAE and The Netherlands. Because of their work, we are able to bring these people to account.”
Ahmad is the brother of underworld figure Wally Ahmad who was assassinated at Bankstown Central shopping centre in April last year.
In court today, Ahmad pulled his black hooded jumper over his face and kept both palms over his face as his matter was mentioned briefly.
Ahmad was charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug.
Jehad Jodeh was the second man to face court and he was refused bail after being charged importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug.
Jodeh and Ahmad will next appear in court on November 1.
Daniel Ibrahim was supposed to appear in court, but narrowly missed the cut off time and his lawyer Nick Hanna said he would make an application for bail on his client’s behalf on Wednesday.
Ahmad pulled his black hooded jumper over his face and kept both palms over his face as his matter was mentioned briefly mentioned.
Commonwealth DPP prosecutor Anna Payten told the court Ahmad was one of 15 arrested — including five men in the United Arab Emirates — in relation to “two tonnes of border controlled drugs that has been seized in the Netherlands”.
She told the court there was a “significant volume of telephone intercepts and listening devices” that needed to be sorted through.
The former Kings Cross identify-turned autobiography author John Ibrahim’s luxury Dover Heights mansion is also being searched as part of one the country’s biggest police operations unconnected to counter-terrorism.
His son Daniel, 27, who has recently served a stint with the Australian Army, has been arrested in Sydney.
The synchronised raids were led by the Australian Federal Police with NSW Police attaching the Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad and the Gangs Squad, the secretive NSW Crime Commission, the Joint Organised Crime Group and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.
The dawn searches related to “a number of separate, ongoing criminal investigations”, an AFP spokesman said.
“Some of these relate to AFP investigations; some of these relate to joint agency investigations,” the AFP said in a statement.
There have been at least 14 arrests from 32 people targeted by 52 warrants for homes, industrial properties and tobacco shops stretching from Canley Vale in the west to Dover Heights and Bellevue Hill in the east.
In Dubai, AFP officers worked with local police who carried out the arrests of Fadi and Michael Ibrahim, Mustapha Dib, Stephen Elmir and another man.
They are now working on extraditing the five men who were in the UAE with other Sydney associates who have not been arrested.
Police also claimed to have dismantled another international MDMA ring involving another well-known Sydney crime family as well as a syndicate smuggling illegal tobacco into Australia.
Five men were arrested in Dubai over an alleged importation of ice into Australia.
Earlier this morning police raided an inner west factory.
Plain clothes police continue to search manufacturing facility at St Peters this afternoon which is registered as the principal place of business for Icon Foods.
The company’s website said it was established in 2008 “to fill the void in the retail market for innovative, healthy and convenient foods”.
A nearby factory worker said he was shocked to see the police swarm all over the business this morning.
“The police all just turned up out of nowhere this went and went into the business and had a look around,” he said.
Two other people arrested are a father and son from Fairfield and Canley Vale allegedly linked to the sale of illegal tobacco.
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