Steven Elmir pleads guilty to conspiracy to drug importation
He fled Sydney after a gang shootout to become a global drug smuggler but was later caught in drug sting by an undercover cop who brought an international syndicate to its knees.
Police & Courts
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There is a reason why drug smuggler Steven Elmir was known as “Mr Worldwide”.
The 34-year-old used the moniker as his codename on his encrypted BlackBerry phone that he used to negotiate the movement of massive stockpiles of prime quality drugs that were stationed over the world.
And, according to documents tendered in court, keeping on top of his business responsibilities, meant that he enjoyed a globetrotting lifestyle.
Since he fled Sydney for his life following a gang shootout in 2016 that claimed the life of a family member, Elmir had stationed himself a luxury hotel room above Dubai Marina.
But he rarely stayed put due to business commitments.
There was 350kg of ice in Taiwan. He planned to ship it to Australia hidden in computers. Over in Greece, his syndicate had between 250kg and 500kg of cocaine. There were similar stockpiles in The Netherlands and South America.
His business meetings relating to the drugs occurred in party paradises like Thailand and Ibiza.
On June 22, 2017, Elmir was preparing to depart Dubai to spend the next five weeks “hopping around Europe” where he would drop into France before heading to Monaco.
Elmir revealed his business plans during a meeting at Budda Bar — one of Dubai’s most exclusive nightclubs — with a person he hoped would help him smuggle more than a tonne of MDMA, cocaine and ice into Australia.
We are now aware of those plans because the person was an undercover police officer who caught Elmir in a sting.
The undercover was introduced to Elmir by Michael Ibrahim, the younger brother of Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim who has not been charged and is not accused of any wrongdoing.
The quick thinking cop won Michael’s trust by promising him he had “a door” that could ensure the safe passage of drugs and illegal cigarettes into Australia.
Michael introduced the undercover to an all-star cast of criminals and drug dealers who attempted to smuggle almost two tonnes of drugs into Australia.
The undercover used his charm and skills to climb the criminal ladder to the point where he was two timing with the leaders of competing drug syndicates based in Dubai and Europe.
The investigation, known as Operation Veyda, resulted in more than 20 arrests and saw Michael jailed for a maximum 30 years.
Elmir is now set to follow after he pleaded guilty to conspiring to import a large commercial quantity of drugs into Australia.
He was arrested in Dubai in August 2017, and was extradited to Australia in 2019. He is set to face the Downing Centre District Court on May 7.
Police allege Elmir had the undercover smuggle two drug shipments from the Netherlands totalling almost one tonne of MDMA, 136kg of cocaine and 15kg of ice in May and July 2017.
GETTING IN
The breakthrough moment that led the undercover to Elmir came when he and Michael were in Europe to collect a 1kg sample of MDMA for another drug syndicate.
It was March 22, 2017, and while the pair drove towards Eindhoven in The Netherlands, Michael told the undercover that his “contact”, Elmir, wanted to meet him in Thailand to discuss the importation of drug stockpiles that were stationed all over the world.
Michael also mentioned that Elmir had offered both of them the opportunity to import drugs “on behalf of his syndicate” for “a percentage fee” and “also suggested the opportunity to purchase their own drugs through his international contacts”, court documents said.
Later that day Michael gave the undercover his in. Michael requested he contact Elmir directly and gave him a BlackBerry handle, “Staypaid”, to contact him on, court documents said.
Michael also suggested they charge Elmir a fee in the form of a percentage of the drugs that they imported for him.
On March 24, the undercover made direct contact.
Via BlackBerry, he wrote to Elmir: “Hey bro, its ms (Michael’s) mate. He told me to message you. Bro u can put what you want. How much were you thinking. Its going to have to be ready mid May.”
Elmir replied he wanted to do a test run: “Time is not a problem. This boys will go hard as we want. But I prefer to go 50 or 100 then next time 500 plus.”
Elmir quickly became comfortable with the undercover.
With plans for one of the drug shipments taking shape, on April 18, 2017, Elmir wrote to the undercover asking if his “Dutch crew” could increase their share of the import to 300kg of MDMA.
The undercover confirmed this would be OK.
On May 3, Elmir wrote to the undercover: “Chuck on 50 kgs of rack (cocaine) for this M gig.”
By June 22, he had given the undercover a heavily encrypted Cipher phone for future communications.
THE PATH TO DUBAI
On May 10, 2017, Elmir invited the undercover to the luxury where he was living — The Address at Dubai Marina, and said he had been living in the Middle East nation for a year.
This was after Elmir fled Australia following a shootout at A-team Smash Repairs at Condell Park on April 9, 2016.
Elmir’s brother-in-law, Safwan Charbali was shot dead in the dispute where the were pitted against members of the feared Ahmad family.
On April 29, a senior member of the Ahmad family, Walid “Wally” Ahmad, was gunned down at Bankstown Centro. His murder remains unsolved.
The Condell Park shooting caused tension when Michael was trying to work with the two drug syndicates.
That was because Wally’s brother, Ahmad “Rock” Ahmad, was a member of the other syndicate and refused to work with Elmir, court documents said.
According to a conversation Michael had with another man on April 8, 2017, Elmir was initially blamed for Wally’s murder.
But he added that underworld gossip later emerged to suggest it was carried out by slain hit man Hamad Assaad and another man, known as “Longhair”, who saw an opportunity for Elmir to take the blame, court document said.
THE END
Prosecutors allege the undercover collected two importations for Elmir, court documents said.
The first was on May 22, 2017, in the carpark of De Kulip Stadium in the Netherlands. A white Opal van arrived and an unidentified man gave the undercover 22 boxes containing 500kg of MDMA.
The transaction was completed a day later at Zoetermeer when another man — after being shown the serial number on a 10 pound note — gave the undercover 20kg of cocaine featuring the Audi logo on each block.
The second occurred on July 18, 2017, where the undercover arranged for the pick up of 498kg of MDMA, 116kg of cocaine and 15kg of ice at a Rotterdam car park.
Elmir was arrested alongside Michael and others in Dubai on August 8, but he almost wasn’t there.
On July 25, 2017, he sent a message to the undercover that said he was planning to go to Colombia and wouldn’t return to Dubai until August 25.
Michael had planned a celebration dinner in Dubai on August 7.
Elmir told the undercover he wouldn’t attend the dinner as it was “a bit red hot” and preferred to meet everyone separately, court documents said.
However, his plans changed and he was arrested alongside Michael and others on August 8 on Marina Promenade after a luxury yacht ride.
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