Benjamin Pitt, Matthew Battah extradited from Dubai over drug allegations
Two men have been extradited home to Australia to face allegations they were involved in the importation of $150 million of prohibited drugs.
Police & Courts
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Two men alleged to be ringleaders of one of Australia’s biggest ever drug syndicates, with links to murders and the Lone Wolf bikie gang, have been returned to Sydney after failing in their alleged effort to break out of a Dubai jail last year.
Benjamin Neil Pitt, 38, and Matthew John Battah, 36, were extradited from Dubai under a veil of secrecy on Wednesday, with police meeting their Emirates Airline plane and escorting them to Surry Hills Police Station under the cover of darkness.
The arrests of Pitt and Battah, who police allege are linked to the Lone Wolf OMCG, followed an eight year investigation by Strike Force Millstream into the alleged importation of 2.8 tonnes of drugs including ice, MDMA and cannabis.
Police allege the drugs were brought into Australia across 2013 and 2014 from Africa, Asia and Europe.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said police would allege the activities of the “syndicate” that Pitt and Battah were overseeing was really simply the “criminal empire of the Lone Wolf” bike gang.
“In the eight years we’ve arrested 28 people, we’ve referred 155 charges, seized $6 million in cash, we’ve tracked $55 million in laundered money,” Asst Comm Smith said.
“The trail ran in 2015 to two individuals in Dubai, a 34-year-old and a 37-year-old, who set themselves up in Dubai and lived an opulent life.
“(We will allege in court today) during the eight year investigation, this particular outlaw motorcycle gang were involved in cannabis cropping, drug manufacture, money laundering, falsifying records and passports, murder and obviously drug importation.
“These guys (Pitt and Battah) were (allegedly) at the top of the food chain. They were (allegedly) involved in the syndicate and controlling imports from Africa and Europe.”
Pitt and Battah were arrested in Dubai last June and have spent the past 15 months in custody in the United Arab Emirates.
Police allege that at one stage last year the pair offered a significant amount of money to anyone who could help them break out of their Dubai cells.
However as part of the major breakthrough with the ultimately compromised AN0M encrypted messaging app, NSW Police became aware of their efforts and informed the Dubai authorities.
“Last year we received confidential intelligence that a significant amount of money was being put up for an attempt at a jail break,” Asst Comm Smith said.
“We worked closely with the Dubai authorities and obviously every part of this operation was kept secret right until they were moved.”
In recent years several high-profile controversial figures have left NSW for overseas locations including Lebanon, Turkey and Dubai.
NSW Police Minister David Elliott said the arrests of Pitt and Battah is a warning that just because people are living overseas does not mean police won‘t continue to try and bring them to justice.
“I am thrilled that this eight year investigation, this eight year operation, is seeing individuals … in court in Sydney, this very day,” Minister Elliott said.
“To those that want to do harm to our community, that want to sell drugs to our kids right here yet live in the lap of luxury thinking that they are away from the long arm of the law … those days are over.
“You cannot just assume that you can escape to another country where NSW Police won’t be able to track you down, because two individuals were tracked down and brought to justice this very day.”
Over the course of the investigation, 28 people have been arrested and charged for their involvement in the transnational criminal syndicate.
Police allege that the syndicate brought in anywhere up to two tonnes of MDMA and more than 900 kgs of methamphetamine, with potentially more than seven tonnes of drugs entering Australia in total as a result of their efforts.
Pitt and Battah remained in the cells at Surry Hills Police Station while their matter was mentioned before Central Local Court on Thursday.
Their solicitor Stephen Zahr did not make an application for bail on their behalf and their matter will next be in court on November 17.
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