Taxi driver, brothers arrested over alleged statewide drug syndicate
Thirty-three people have been charged over an alleged drug syndicate accused of supplying drugs to regional towns. Six men from southwest Sydney - including a cabbie - have faced court.
The Express
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Six men from southwest Sydney accused of being players of a “sophisticated” drug ring supplying country towns in the state’s central west with ‘ice’ have fronted court on a combined 110 offences.
The major 14-month covert police operation came to a head on Wednesday with dawn raids on 21 properties, personally watched on NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller, leading to 12 arrests.
The syndicate is alleged to have sourced the drugs, including ‘ice’, MDMA and heroin, from Sydney before circulating them in country towns in the state’s central west.
Taxi driver Maan Elchami, 53, was arrested in the raids and charged with commercial drug supply after he allegedly used his cab to drive two members of the drug ring to Lithgow McDonald’s to hand off a kilogram of ‘ice’.
The Yagoona man sobbed in court as his lawyer Ahmed Dib told Magistrate Brett Thomas there was no proof Elchami was aware of any drug deal as he simply sat in the cab as the alleged transaction took place.
“(His actions) would be indicative of a taxi driver who has been asked to drive somewhere and then drive them back,” Mr Dib said. Elchami’s bail will be determined on Friday afternoon.
The man police accuse of leading the drug ring, 39-year-old Abdul Wahab Ali Ahmed, 39, has been charged with 34 offences including directing a criminal group and large commercial drug supply. He did not appear by videolink with the matter adjourned to next Thursday at Burwood Local Court.
Brothers Omar and Abdullah Dannawi, both aged 26, also fronted court for their alleged roles in the criminal drug ring, each charged with drug supply.
Omar Dannawi, charged with three offences including drug supply, was granted bail to live with his mum at Bankstown. His lawyer Ahmed Dib said the 26-year-old claims the ‘drugs’ seized by police weren’t actually drugs.
His brother Abdullah Dannawi and 24-year-old Eren Mehmed, each charged with more than 20 counts of drug supply, will apply for bail on Friday.
A sixth man, Allan Kiraz, also fronted court in relation to 18 offences including drug supply in connection with alleged statewide drug network.
His lawyer Elias Khouzame told the court it wasn’t an open and shut case against the 42-year-old, saying he had been arrested on a “process of deduction”. Kiraz was ultimately refused bail.
The dawn raids saw police seize firearms, 1.4kg of gold, railway detonators, $150,000 cash and seven vehicles, including a taxi, from properties in Yagoona, Bankstown, Chester Hill and the Wellington area.
Fifteen people had previously been charged by police across the investigation with more arrests expected to take place.