Malik Husseini, Nour Al-Khateib, Cosmo Care: Cops watch alleged gang

Like something from the Hollywood silver screen; a young Sydney man was enticed into a lavish world of cocaine, yachts and glamorous women and bundles of cash. The only problem was police were watching the whole time.

Malik Hussieni, 24, leaves Burwood Local Court donning Louis Vuitton sneakers. He has pleaded guilty to his role in a Sydney cocaine syndicate.

• Ex-Jujitsu fighter charged over footy brawl in weekend of violence
• Link uncertain as two security guards test positive

Court documents have revealed members of an alleged major Sydney cocaine syndicate would throw bundles of cash around their housing commission apartment and flaunt shopping bags full of Louis Vuitton, all as police watched on.

One of the accused, Malik Husseini, arrived at Burwood Local Court on Monday decked out in sneakers made by the high end fashion brand.

The 24-year-old pleaded guilty to recklessly dealing with proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal group after the 2019 drug bust.

More than $350,000 was found during a raid on one of the properties.

Documents tendered as part of his sentencing outline how police infiltrated the group with cameras and surveillance devices covertly planted in the alleged Belmore and Lewisham drug houses.

Two other accused, Nour Al-Khateib and Cosmo Care, have been charged with a range of offences including supplying a commercial quantity of cocaine.

Khateib will front the District Court next week where police will accuse him of living a lavish lifestyle entertaining glamorous women on yachts through the cocaine operation which allegedly reaped up to $220,000 a week.

The agreed statement of facts state Husseini’s involvement was limited to the dodgy cash after he was seen on video picking up bundles of it from a counter before walking out of view.

The alleged safe house they surveilled was in fact the home of Al-Khateib’s girlfriend.

She has not been charged and there is no suggestion she was involved in any wrongdoing.

The cocaine was seized after police alleged Al-Khateib was seen handling it on camera.

Husseini, a kitchen maker who now lives in East Hills, was initially charged with dealing with $555,054 of drug money before it was withdrawn by police and replaced with a figure of $2665.

Police had seen enough over several weeks and swooped in on the group, however, when they raided a Peakhurst safe house Husseini and Care had jumped from a balcony to avoid the riot squad officers, according to court documents.

The court heard during their surveillance Al-Khateib was seen entering the home with several Louis Vuitton shopping bags.

A subsequent search of Husseini’s car located a note in a Coles shopping bag with the words: “$480 – $160k – Sydney”, court documents state.

Husseini said in his letter to the court his family were stunned at his arrest.

According to Husseini’s letter to the court he was “kissing the floor” when he was granted bail eight months after first being arrested and that he was “stupid” to surround himself with “negative people”.

“Jail is the scariest place in the world. I hate thinking about it,” he wrote to Magistrate Susan Horan.

A sentencing assessment report tendered to the court detailed how Husseini denied his involvement and believed police had fabricated the charges against him.

In my view Mr Husseini understood what was happening around him and he chose to turn a blind eye,” Magistrate Horan said.

“Although it is a serious offence he’s identified he spent time with unsuitable people, he’d be minded to not do that in the future or hell find himself in court again.”

Husseini was convicted and fined $1000 and put on a 18 month community corrections order.

NEWS TIPS: [e-mail]