Alameddine members among 18 arrested over alleged drug ring during widespread raids

Police claim they have landed a killer blow against the powerful alleged Alameddine crime clan. Here are the alleged members arrested in sweeping dawn raids.

The highest figures in police and the state government lined up on Tuesday to announce they had skewered the ranks of the powerful alleged Alameddine crime clan — claiming a crucial victory in the fight to stop Sydney’s bloodletting and rampant drug trade.

Tactical police marched 18 men into police holding cells following raids on 29 properties across western Sydney.

They laid dozens of charges over an alleged “sophisticated dial a dealer” drug network.

Police Minister Paul Toole claimed the Alameddine network was one of Sydney’s “most dangerous” crime clans.

“We’ve actually closed the net on one of Sydney’s most dangerous crime families ... I think there is a very strong message here that our police will continue to be out there in force, our police will continue to hunt those people down,” he said.

NSW Police commissioner Karen Webb declared the arrests had “cut the head off the snake”.

Twenty-nine search warrants were executed and 18 people were arrested during coordinated raids in south-west Sydney on Tuesday.

“Today we smashed an organised criminal network. The entire syndicate has been arrested, including high ranking members of that syndicate,” Ms Webb said.

“I’m confident that we’ve cut the head off the snake.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said police had arrested “the whole syndicate”. Picture: Nikki Short

“The recent gang related violence that has been plaguing Sydney stems directly from the battle for control of these drug markets and the profits.

“All of those arrested displayed considerable wealth and assets, which we allege were generated entirely through the profit of drugs.”

Middle and low-ranking members of the syndicate — some of whom NSW Police allege were raking in up to $250,000-a-week from the sale of drugs — were among the main targets of the search warrants at suburbs including Guildford, Merrylands, Chester Hill, South Granville, Casula, Yagoona and Wentworthville.

Police allege that the syndicate used dozens of phones to sell drugs to hundreds of Sydneysiders who were funding their organised crime activities.

One of the men arrested is taken away by police on Tuesday.

Twenty-nine search warrants were executed and 18 people were arrested during coordinated raids in south-west Sydney on Tuesday.

Among those arrested was Assaad Alahmad, considered by police to rank just beneath Rafat Alameddine who they allege is the clan boss. He escaped an attempted assassination last March when a bullet aimed at his head struck him in the neck.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal police will allege that Alahmad was in control of the Alameddine clan’s drug distribution network at the street level.

One of the arrested men makes rude gestures for the cameras.

A man is led away in a wheelchair.

Rafat Alameddine was not arrested or charged.

In addition to Alahmad, police also arrested fellow alleged senior members of the syndicate in Trent Jeske and Khaled Zreika.

Police charged Zreika with seven offences including three counts of supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, three weapons related offences and one count of directing a criminal group.

Alahmad and Jeske had not been charged but remained in custody last night.

Trent Jeske was among those arrested.

Khaled Zreika was among those arrested.

Five other men who are believed to be Zreika’s relatives were also charged.

Tuesday’s breakthrough was the culmination of an investigation by the Criminal Groups Squad that began in July last year.

There have been more than a dozen fatal shootings over the past 18 months, but in recent weeks pressure on police and the state government has intensified following the deaths of three underworld figures — Mahmoud “Brownie” Ahmad, Omar Zahed and Rami Iskander — in quick succession.

A mass of more than 400 police had gathered for a morning briefing delivered by Commissioner Webb at Homebush about 3.30am, before heading out on the road to carry out the planned search warrants and arrests.

The men were led away in all states of dress and undress.

One of the 18 men arrested.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet heaped praise on the work of the police who had investigated the alleged drug syndicate over the past year, and also those involved in Tuesday morning’s breakthrough.

“There is absolutely no place for criminal activity, or the kind of violence associated with it,” Mr Perrottet said.

“I want to thank all members of the NSW Police Force for the work they do every single day in keeping our community safe. They put their life on the line to keep us safe and we owe them a great debt.”

A number of the men arrested had “R4W” tattooed on their legs, which police sources confirmed stands for Ready for War — a name allegedly given to a branch of the syndicate.

One of the men arrested was taken into custody in a wheelchair.

In the raids police seized mobile phones, SIM cards, electronic storage devices and car keys.