NSW Police seize drugs, cash, gold and guns in Middle Eastern gang busts in Sydney
SPECIAL INVESTIGATION: A year-long police sting on a global drug supply network has ended in dramatic raids and arrests across Sydney. See inside the major police operation.
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Millions of dollars in cash and drugs have been seized in dramatic arrests throughout Sydney after a year-long global operation involving NSW police, US Homeland Security and the AFP.
Two men aged 28 and 32 were arrested in a daring take-down in Bankstown on Wednesday morning when their car’s windows were shot out in broad daylight in front of motorists on a busy street. The 28-year-old was charged with being involved in the distribution and collection of drugs and the 32-year-old was released pending further inquiries.
In what police called a “controlled delivery” in the heart of Sydney’s southwest, Tactical Operations Unit officers stopped the car after blasting out the windows with bean bags and took possession of 20 kilograms of what was supposedly cocaine, but had earlier been substituted by authorities.
As part of their investigations following this arrest, police then seized $1.4 million in cash. They would not give details as to how the cocaine had been substituted.
In all, police arrested six people in Sydney, one in Los Angeles and executed search warrants at 16 separate addresses yesterday from about 6am at properties and businesses in Picton, Earlwood, Hoxton Park, Belfield, Cabarita, Rockdale, Penhurst, Guildford, Greenacre, Smithfield, Fairfield, Liverpool and Wetherill Park.
They hauled in $2.5m cash, a firearm, gold bullion, cigarettes, crypto wallets, steroids and other drugs, including MDMA and 300kg of methylamphetamine and cocaine. All items will undergo forensic examination.
Among the arrests was a 38-year-old Earlwood man who police allege used his job with international delivery company DHL to facilitate monitoring the movement of the drug importations as they were being transported into Port Botany.
The cocaine and MDMA (or meth) was allegedly to be distributed by two of Sydney’s most powerful Middle Eastern crime families not linked to either the Alamaddine or Hamze crime networks. In all, police stopped about 220kg of meth getting into the country from Los Angeles and 75kg of cocaine originating from Germany.
The cocaine was concealed inside pieces of machinery at a Sydney freight depot along with $960,000 cash.
“These arrests will significantly hurt these organisations both by losing what we consider important middle tier people as well as disrupting their cash flow,’’ Detective Superintendent Stuart Cadden said.
“The arrest of the logistics worker is also significant because having trusted insiders like that is not common.”
NSW and Australian Federal Police also carried out a dawn raid at a country estate at Picton, south of Sydney, where they arrested Enzo Guarinoni, who police will allege was a significant player in the drug operation.
Guarinoni’s newborn child and partner were at home when police raided the property.
In his driveway was a brand new AMG series Mercedes Benz, a BMW and a Mazda, while two rare Holdens, including a Brock Special, sat in his garage.
He was charged with nine offences, including supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime, possessing a prohibited drug and six counts of supplying an indictable quantity of a prohibited drug.
He was refused bail to appear at Picton Local Court on Thursday.
Five other men, aged in their 30s and 40s were all charged in relation to their various alleged roles in the operations.
Homeland Security Investigations officers also executed a simultaneous search warrant in Los Angeles and arrested a 23-year-old man.
They located and seized 128kg of methylamphetamine, 55kg of crystal MDMA, 18kg of cocaine, and around $15,000USD.
In 2021, detectives from the NSW Police Force’s State Crime Command, the Australian Federal Police (AFP), and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), established Operation Phobetor to target and disrupt serious organised crime in NSW.
Both NSW and federal police said Wednesday’s arrests were a major success for the joint operations.
“Organised criminal networks notoriously compete for control in the illicit drug trade, however what we have seen through this operation and other intelligence is that some members of OCNs are working collaboratively to bring drugs into our country,” NSW Police Organised Crime Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent Peter Faux, said.
“AFP officers have been working offshore with foreign law enforcement partners like Homeland Security for decades, and these relationships have directly led to this outcome,” said AFP Commander Kate Ferry.
“The AFP’s relationship with our foreign law enforcement partners gives us international reach and the ability to help stop criminal groups moving illicit drugs into NSW.
“This operation is an example of law enforcement at its best – agencies confronting organised crime head on, no matter where in the world they are operating, and working together to cause maximum damage to their illegal business.
“These criminals undermine our national security and our economy. They make our suburbs and roads less safe. The way Australians live will be changed if illicit drug use is not greatly reduced and if these serious criminals are not brought to justice.”
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