Aaron Waters, Daniel Vescio, Shadi Jamal and Mohamad Naboulsi in Manly court over alleged importation of 59kg of ‘ice’
A northern beaches bodybuilder is one of four men charged over the alleged importation of $18 million worth of ‘ice’. See the latest here.
Manly
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A northern beaches bodybuilder is one of four men accused of being part of the alleged importation of 59kg of “ice” — with a street value of $18 million.
The men are alleged to be involved in bringing in the prohibited drug methylamphetamine into Sydney inside an industrial magnet and faced Manly Local Court on Thursday.
They were arrested on the northern beaches on Wednesday afternoon after a surveillance operation involving NSW Police, Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force.
Aaron Macaulay Waters 30, of Narrabeen, Daniel Vescio, 25, of Frenchs Forest, Mohamed Naboulsi, 22 of Yagoona and Shadi Jamal, 21, of Roselands are all charged with one count each of possess commercial quantity of unlawful import of controlled drug (attempted offence).
The police prosecutor told the court that “extensive surveillance” was part of the joint operation leading to the arrest of the four men.
In documents tendered to court, police alleged the men were in possession of 59.9kg of methamphetamine “between 12pm and 1pm on March 22 at Ingleside”.
The police will allege the amount of “ice” was a “commercial quantity”.
Only one of the four, Mr Jamal, applied for bail.
The other three accused men did not apply for bail and it was formally refused.
In opposing bail for Mr Jamal, the police prosecutor said the charges were “as serious as they get”.
Magistrate Robert Williams said if convicted, Mr Jamal faced a maximum penalty of life in jail.
He refused Mr Jamal’s bail application.
All four men were remanded in custody to appear at the Downing Centre Local Court on May 17.
In a media statement issued on Thursday, NSW Police stated that earlier this year the State Crime Command’s Organised Crime Squad started a joint investigation with the AFP and the ABF, under Strike Force Merfield, to investigate the alleged importation of illicit drugs into NSW.
Police allege that March 16, a suspicious imported consignment was intercepted by the ABF in Sydney where 60kg of methylamphetamine was allegedly found concealed within an industrial magnet.
The drugs have an estimated potential street value of $18 million.
Strike Force Merfield investigators, with assistance from AFP officers, subsequently conducted a controlled delivery to an industrial site in Ingleside on Wednesday.
Later that day, the four accused were arrested by the Tactical Operations Unit as they allegedly attempted to access the consignment with an angle grinder.
They were taken to Manly Police Station and each charged with attempt to possess a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug.
Strike force detectives executed search warrants at homes in Ingleside, Frenchs Forest and Roselands.
During the searches, police seized prohibited drugs including 338g of an unknown white powder, bank cards, electronic devices including DECCD mobile phones and documentation.
The items were seized and will undergo further examination
Investigations under Strike Force Merfield are ongoing.
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