Bilal Chaker charged after police seize drugs in NSW, Queensland raids
A trucking company has been linked to a second drug run in a fortnight, with police this time seizing millions of dollars worth of cocaine, cannabis and chemicals.
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A trucking company has been linked to a second drug run in a fortnight, with police this time seizing millions of dollars worth of cocaine, cannabis and chemicals.
A joint effort by officers from NSW Police Strike Force Raptor and Queensland Police led to two men being arrested on either sides of the border on Thursday evening.
Guildford man Bilal Chaker, 24, allegedly drove a load of drugs over the Queensland border on Thursday, before beginning his return back to Sydney.
But as Chaker - who allegedly had links to the Comancheros OMCG - travelled south on the Princes Highway, he was completely unaware he was under watch from Strike Force Raptor officers.
When they finally pounced on his truck at Kew, on the NSW mid-north coast, they allegedly found $476,000 in cash hidden in a lock box on the outside of the truck.
At the same time officers in Queensland were arresting a 30-year-old man.
Search warrants were executed at that man’s home and also a shipping container stored at a building site in Yatala, Queensland.
In total police allegedly seized 130 kilograms of cannabis, 1.5kg of cocaine and 2000 litres of chemicals.
The seized drugs had a street value of $4.5million.
Officers from Strike Force Raptor then raided a trucking yard in Smithfield where they allegedly discovered more cocaine.
NSW Police Detective Superintendent Jason Weinstein, said it was allegedly the second time in a week trucks linked to the same logistics company had been found carrying drugs.
“We certainly will be in contact and looking at the connections between the drivers and the owners of that logistics company,” Det Supt Weinstein said.
“My understanding from enquiries is the premises we went to last night at Smithfield, the trucking company or logistics company, was hiring part of that facility.
“The actual directors of this logistics company are people that we are interested in speaking to in the coming days.”
Thursday’s bust came just nine days after a truck linked to the same company was allegedly found to be carrying $3million worth of cannabis.
A total of eight vacuum sealed bags were containing 127 kilograms of cocaine were found after the truck was pulled over at a weigh stop near Goulburn on February 24.
Det Supt Weinstein said that after a year in which state borders were often closed due to COVID-19, police would be keeping a closer eye than ever on drug runners in 2021.
“Part of the strategy for the Raptor Squad is the targeting of movement of cash and drugs along those known drug routes and highways,’ he said.
“Whether it’s into Western Australia, between and Victoria and Queensland, we know Sydney is a place where often drugs will come into from overseas, and then they’re often distributed.”
Chaker faced Port Macquarie Local Court on Friday on charges of supplying a large commercial quantity of prohibited drugs and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime.
He was refused bail and will return to the same court on Thursday, May 6.
Det Supt Weinstein confirmed Chaker was in Australia on a bridging visa and his case had been referred to the Australian Border Force.
The 30-year-old man from Queensland faced Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday, also charged with serious offences.
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