Foiled kidnapping leads to $1 billion drug bust in Sydney Airbnb unit

A foiled kidnapping in a suburban Sydney apartment car park saw police uncover one of the largest cocaine seizures in decades, worth an estimated $1 billion. Here’s how it unfolded.

Senior NSW Police members have been left stunned after they discovered more than $1 billion worth of cocaine sitting in a wardrobe in a nondescript flat in Sydney’s northwest, giving an insight into the massive amounts of the drug flooding into the city right now.

Police came across the 722 kilograms of the white powder while investigating a call from the member of the public, who claimed earlier seeing four men with their faces covered breaking into an underground car park of the Ryde complex early on Monday morning.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson said the later discovery of the drugs inside the building was a surprise.

“From that call, it was great police work leading to the discovery of the drugs, but, it was also a bit of a shock that such a large amount was sitting in a suburban apartment,” he said.

“It also begs the question as to how much more is out there.

“We are constantly working with federal authorities to try and stop these people importing the drugs, who we know are stockpiling large amounts of the drugs like we have seen with this seizure.”

Hussein Habeeb, 24, was the intended target of the kidnapping. Photo: Facebook / Supplied

When local police arrived at the apartment block at 6.30am following the call, they allegedly found the four men sitting in a Toyota Yaris car with what they describe as a “kidnap kit”, which consisted of a meat cleaver, knives, cable ties, handcuffs, face coverings and gloves.

The four were arrested and taken into custody.

The NSW State Crime Command’s Robbery and Serious crime squad, which deals with kidnappings, was then called in and interviewed residents nearby.

They spoke to a man from a ground floor unit, 24-year-old Hussein Habeeb.

Police will allege he appeared calm and relaxed when interacting with officers.

Resident Ana Kunjasic was shocked. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Some of the items police seized from the men who broke into the apartment building.

He allegedly told them he was on holidays from Melbourne and had been renting an Airbnb for the past three weeks, according to police.

Over the next few hours, police methodically checked the records of all the complex’s inhabitants.

At 10.45pm, after obtaining a search warrant, they went into the apartment Habeeb had been staying in and uncovered the cocaine in one kilogram blocks with varying stamps on them.

It is one of the single largests seizures by NSW Police ever.

“It is a mind boggling amount to be in such a nondescript location,” said a senior officer.

“But, frighteningly, an indication of how much is coming into Australia and Sydney in particular.

“What is worse is it won’t make a dint in what is out on the streets. It will just mean someone has lost money and will do another large importation to make it up.”

A study of wastewater released in November confirmed that cocaine use is at its highest levels since 2020 and, unsurprisingly, Sydney consumes more than anywhere else.

Neighbour Ana Kunjasic said she had multiple friendly chats with Habeeb, who was staying in the apartment beside her.

At one stage he even wished her a merry Christmas.

Police now allege Habeeb had been minding the 722kg of cocaine stashed inside the wardrobe, with an estimated street value of $1 billion and was the intended target of the thwarted kidnapping.

Police carry out an arrest after the failed kidnapping attempt.

Mrs Kunjasic said she saw the four men being arrested inside the basement.

“I couldn’t believe it … I went down and there were four men, hands behind their backs, lying on the ground and police standing everywhere,” she said.

“There was all this black clothing on the ground … Police said to me ‘Everything is OK’, so I went back upstairs,” she said.

But it wasn’t until 17 hours later, when detectives were investigating the intended target of the alleged kidnapping, that police returned to the building and arrested Mrs Hunjasic’s neighbour Habeeb.

“11pm, screaming everywhere. ‘Police, police’ … I was terrified,” she said.

“And then they arrest the man in unit two and I couldn’t believe my eyes … I saw him in the morning (when the alleged attempted kidnapping was foiled), he was saying to us ”Everything’s fine, the thing downstairs, it must have been a mistake they (the alleged kidnappers) had the wrong address, this is a safe unit block, everything is good’,“ she said.

Some of the seized cocaine.

The apartment building on Blaxland Road, Ryde, where $1 billion of cocaine was found. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“He said ”Melbourne is where bad things happen, not Sydney, everything is fine, don’t worry’.“

On the veranda of Habeeb’s unit were three cigarette boxes and two smoothies which had not been fully consumed.

The front door to the ground floor unit was covered in fingerprint dust, and had a hole where police had ‘kicked it in’, according to Mrs Kunjasic.

“We will allege from our investigations that the motive for those offenders being present in the basement was to kidnap and rob an occupant from that complex,” said Detective Superintendent Joe Douehi.

Eldin Huric was denied bail at Burwood Local Court on Tuesday after being found by police in the apartment block.

Moumin Hamouda was also denied bail despite his lawyer proposing he would go on house arrest.

“This year alone, our detectives have arrested 48 people over alleged kidnapping offences, and through various other operations and strike forces, foiled a number of other violent acts such as public place shootings and homicides,” Det Supt Doueihi said.

The four men allegedly trapped in the garage of a unit complex all faced Burwood Local Court yesterday.

Liam Goodhew, was granted bail on Tuesday and must adhere to a 9pm to 6am curfew.

Moumin Hamouda, 23, and Eldin Huric, 20, were denied bail.

Their co-accused Bilal Gheneim, 19, did not apply, however, Liam Roger Goodhew, 24, was granted bail by Magistrate Joy Boulos.

Habeeb was charged with supplying a large commercial quantity of drugs. He did not apply for bail in the same court.