‘Mr Big’ accused of trying to import 300kg heroin

A Sydney man who is claimed to be a “Mr Big’’ of the organised crime world has been arrested for allegedly attempting to import more than 300kg of heroin.

A Sydney man who is claimed to be a “Mr Big’’ of the organised crime world has been arrested for allegedly attempting to import more than 300kg of heroin from the “Golden Triangle’’ in Asia.

It is estimated the heroin would have given users more than 3 million hits and be worth more than $100 million had it not been intercepted by Thai police en route to Australia.

Evan Isshak, 38, was taken into custody by Australian Federal Police on Thursday morning at a home in Edensor Park. Officers also executed a search warrant at an apartment linked to him in Pyrmont.

A second man, 41, was arrested at Cambridge Park, where police seized more than $300,000 in cash and exclusive watches valued at about $50,000.

It is estimated the heroin haul would have given users more than 3 million hits.

Federal police will allege ­Isshak was referred to by other people on encrypted devices as “the King” and he called himself “the Kingpin’’ as a user name.

It will also be alleged the pair communicated through the AN0M encryption phones, which Federal Police and the FBI infiltrated recently in ­Operation Ironside.

The Telegraph understands that Isshak became a major target for Federal and NSW police around 2019, when he was placed on the Australian Prioritised Organisation Target (APOT) list which currently has 16 people or organisations which Australian law enforcement expect are major influencers in organised crime with international links.

Other APOTs include Comanchero Bikie boss Mark Buddle and Hells Angel president Angelo Pandeli. Isshak is the only person living in Australia on the list.

Investigators believe the drugs may have come from the neighbouring region of Myanmar, a major supplier of drugs throughout Asia.

On July 5, Thai authorities allegedly found 134 shrink-wrapped packets of heroin, each weighing about 2.4kg and hidden in paint tins marked for Queensland.

Federal police said from there the heroin would most likely have made its way down the east coast, where it has become popular in regional NSW and Victoria.

“The majority of APOTS have moved offshore, but in the past two years the AFP has worked with overseas law enforcement to arrest one of these priority targets, plus carried out co-ordinated action against another two targets — and their organisations — that have crippled their ability to target Australia with large-scale or frequent drug importations,” acting Assistant AFP Commissioner Eastern Command Kirsty Schofield said.