Elias Elchaar: Alleged drug group director taken down in AN0M sting

A 49-year-old has faced court on allegations he headed a group which transported drugs and millions of dollars of drug money between Sydney and Perth.

The alleged “director” of a criminal syndicate which moved $8 million worth of drug profits in a handmade crate across the country has been taken down via the AN0M app sting, a court has heard.

Police allege Elias Elchaar, 49, headed a group which transported an unknown amount of methamphetamine from Sydney to Perth, and a crate with $8 million dollars from Perth to Sydney between April and June this year.

Police allege they have messages sent to an AN0M group chat under Elchaar’s handle EACEB4, which was connected to a device found at his home during his arrest.

Elchaar was one of hundreds arrested after the Australian Federal Police and FBI infiltrated encrypted messenger service AN0M, which police allegewas meant to obscure criminal activities from the view of authorities.

The man was allegedly part of a group transporting cash and drugs between Sydney and Perth (pictured)

The Figtree (Wollongong) man applied for bail at Central Local Court on Tuesday with his lawyer Brett Longville telling the court the police case was weak.

But the Crown Prosecutor disagreed and combed through Elchaar’s contribution to the 36-page police facts in detail.

According to court documents, on April 18 to 19, Elchaar allegedly messaged a group chat about the pick-up time of a crate transporting “fry” or methamphetamine from Sydney to Perth.

He allegedly told them he would organise for a “worker” to take the day off to be there and allegedly sent a photo of the crate, with labels on the side, to the group chat.

The ANoM app appears on the screen of a smartphone in Paris. Picture: AFP

The crate containing meth was allegedly transported to Perth between April 20 and 23.

On April 24 to 28, Elchaar allegedly discussed the return of a crate, which would be loaded with money, to Sydney, according to police facts read out in court.

In the group chat, Elchaar allegedly referred to $8 million being in the crate, and said he would pay “$5000 for every million” transported to Sydney.

It is not alleged by police the money was a direct payment for the methamphetamine sent to Perth, but payment for the alleged general drug trafficking enterprise.

Police allege Elchaar told the group how he made the crates himself and discussed possibly making more for his Western Australian contacts.

He said if contacts in Perth used the crates he made then “no one would be able to see anything through it”, the court heard.

Police have made dozens of arrests through the ANOM app sting. Picture: Che Chorley

Police allege he also gave advice to the group chat about packing and labelling the loot, telling them to “wrap it the same as they received it …”

The money was delivered to Sydney on May 7, police allege.

Elchaar allegedly organised for another alleged syndicate member to pick up a portion of the $8 million – $60,000 – from Randwick that day.

The court heard when the contact was late to collect the money, police allege Elchaar was “upset” that he had put the man at risk, saying “He can’t just be on the side of the road. He’s got $60K on him”.

The court heard he told the other man to take $5000 and give $55,000 to a person known as “Happy”.

Elchaar also allegedly discussed bringing in a new associate, which was met with “concern” from other members of the group.

Elchaar was arrested on June 7 and charged with dealing with more than $1 million in the proceeds of crime and directing the activities of a criminal group to aid a criminal organisation.

Encrypted Anom website and logo.

Mr Longville told the court the group messages attributed to Elchaar were more along the lines of queries, suggestions and ideas rather than “directions”.

The Crown Prosecutor alleged his “directions were aiding the organisation” and that Elchaar was intentionally getting others to deal in the money knowing it was the proceeds of crime.

Magistrate Josh McIntosh agreed with the prosecutor that it was a strong crown case and denied Elchaar bail.

He will appear at court again on August 4.

The other man was arrested at a Randwick home and charged with importing a commercial quantity of cocaine, directing activities to aid a criminal enterprise and dealing with more than $1 million in the proceeds of crime.

He will reappear at Waverley Local Court on August 3.