Ahmed Elmir arrested over $1m cash, guns, cocaine stash

A relative of an infamous Sydney family with underworld links has been arrested by police over a stash of more than $1 million in cash, guns and cocaine.

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A member of an infamous Sydney family with underworld links has been arrested over $1 million in cash, guns and cocaine.

33-year-old Ahmed Elmir faces dozens of criminal charges after police allegedly uncovered weapons, drugs and cash when they dramatically raided his car and East Hills home.

NSW Police pulled over Elmir as he was driving a Toyota Corolla on the M5 at Riverwood around 1pm on Friday.

Police claim to have found a supermarket bag containing $120,000 in the boot of his vehicle, along with five bags of cocaine stashed in the door trim of the car.

Ahmed Elmir - the relative of a notorious underworld family - has been arrested after a vehicle stop in which police found cash and cocaine. Picture: NSW Police

A man has been charged and cocaine, guns and $1 million cash has been seized as part of an ongoing investigation into drug supply and firearms use., , , , Officers attached to the Criminal Groups Squad’s Strike Force Raptor conducted a vehicle stop on a Toyota Corolla on the M5 at Riverwood about 1pm on Friday (14 August 2020), and spoke with the male driver., , , , Five bags of cocaine were seized after they were found allegedly secreted in the door trim of the car, while a supermarket bag – containing $120,000 – was found in the boot., , , , The 33-year-man was arrested and taken to Bankstown Police Station before being transferred to Bankstown Hospital, where he was held under police guard., , , , A short time later, a search warrant was executed at a home in Harcourt Avenue, East Hills, where police seized $1 million in cash, two semi-automatic pistols and a shotgun, as well as more cocaine., , , , On release from hospital, the man was taken to Bankstown Police Station where he was charged with 14 offences,

He is a relative of a prominent Sydney family well known to police.

The man was taken to Bankstown Police Station before being transferred to Bankstown Hospital, where he was held under police guard.

A short time later, police raided Elmir’s home in Harcourt Avenue, East Hills and seized $1 million in cash, two semiautomatic pistols and a shotgun, as well as more cocaine.

Upon release from hospital, Elmir was hit with 14 charges including three counts of drug supply, two counts of dealing with the proceeds of crime and other charges relating to gun possession.

Police uncovered a stash of guns when they raided Elmir’s East Hills home. Picture: NSW Police

A man has been charged and cocaine, guns and $1 million cash has been seized as part of an ongoing investigation into drug supply and firearms use., , , , Officers attached to the Criminal Groups Squad’s Strike Force Raptor conducted a vehicle stop on a Toyota Corolla on the M5 at Riverwood about 1pm on Friday (14 August 2020), and spoke with the male driver., , , , Five bags of cocaine were seized after they were found allegedly secreted in the door trim of the car, while a supermarket bag – containing $120,000 – was found in the boot., , , , The 33-year-man was arrested and taken to Bankstown Police Station before being transferred to Bankstown Hospital, where he was held under police guard., , , , A short time later, a search warrant was executed at a home in Harcourt Avenue, East Hills, where police seized $1 million in cash, two semi-automatic pistols and a shotgun, as well as more cocaine., , , , On release from hospital, the man was taken to Bankstown Police Station where he was charged with 14 offences,

He was refused bail and fronted Parramatta Local Court on Sunday where he was remanded in custody to appear in Bankstown Local Court on Wednesday.

The arrest comes as police claim the pandemic has shattered criminals’ efforts to launder money through casinos and poker machines

According to NSW Police, the latest cash seizure could be further evidence that COVID-19 has harmed the money laundering trade.

“It appears criminals are holding a lot more cash at the moment as they can’t launder their money in traditional means because of the restrictions placed on them by COVID-19,’’ Detective Superintendent Martin Fileman of the NSW Organised Crime Squad said.

“We are catching people with cash more frequently from amounts of tens of thousands of dollars up to the millions.”

NSW Police say the pandemic has stunted criminals’ efforts to launder cash. Picture: NSW Police

Border closures have also hit crime syndicates who often move money interstate to clean cash.

Det. Supt. Fileman said there are now huge amounts of cash sitting in homes and storage facilities waiting to be laundered.

“The amount in those units would run into the hundreds of millions,’’ he said.

Other senior law enforcement officers told The Telegraph that a drop in foreign students has also hampered laundering syndicates.

“Foreign students are often used to remit money to overseas bank accounts and then transferred back in a variety of ways in an attempt to hide its origins,” the officer said.

He said it also could explain the recent spike in gangsters kidnapping each other and holding them for ransom.

“They know that they are having problems moving cash so that makes them very attractive targets for extortion,’’ he said.