‘Know little kids that want to push?’ Disturbing words allegedly used by suspected KTM gang member
Queensland police used an undercover cop to help take down the infamous KTM gang, with some suspected members even considering using kids to run drugs, police claim.
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Queensland police utilised an ice-buying undercover cop to help take down the infamous KTM gang, some of whose suspected members allegedly trafficked meth and even contemplated the use of kiddy drug runners, police claim.
Court documents obtained by The Courier-Mail shine a light on the inner workings of KTM that led to raids of 25 southeast Queensland addresses last month, with 20 men arrested in one day.
Sixteen of those men were charged with drug trafficking (Serious Organised Crime) and other offences.
According to the court documents, analysis of bank accounts of some of the top tier members of KTM revealed cash deposits and transfers to the value of $2.5 million.
Police allege some of these proceeds were sent to offshore bank accounts.
According to police KTM, or K12, is a street gang which originally consisted of members who grew up in Kuraby and were of Somali descent.
KTM refers to “Kuraby Town Malis”, referring to their Somali heritage, or alternatively Kuraby Town Members and K12 referenced the postcode 4112.
Operation Whiskey Vogue started in June 2024 to investigate the syndicate and allegedly discovered the trafficking of methamphetamine and other drugs through the Logan and Brisbane areas.
Those charged are Ayaaz Bhagoo, 23, Shirwac Abdi Yusuf, 23 both of Kuraby, brothers Aydin Imran Celikovic, 24, of Upper Mount Gravatt, Isak Jameel Celikovic, 27, of Brisbane city, Khaalid Shaarub, 23, of Woodridge, Abdirahman Aden Warsame, 24, of Kuraby, Said Mohamud Abdi, 23, of Heathwood, Abdullahi Ahmed Adan, 23, of Underwood, Sakariye Adam Ahmed, 23, of Doolandella, Mohamed Dawd Mohamed, 22, of Calamvale, Ramazani Kiza, 20, of Algester, Mohammed Mosin Khan, 24, of Underwood, Exauce Osumaka Makiadi, 20, of Logan Central, Muhamad Mossi, 19, of Algester, Hamzah Motala, 24, of Underwood, Jamal Abdirashid Shaarub, 22, of Woodridge, and Yusuf Yusuf, 20, of Kuraby.
According to court documents the syndicate operated with a hierarchical structure to facilitate business with Ayaaz Bhagoo and Shirwac Yusuf allegedly at the top.
The defendants had their cases mentioned in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday.
Magistrate Peter Saggers ordered prosecutors to provide a full brief of evidence to the defendants’ lawyers by September 8.
The case was adjourned to September 29.
Police allege the defendants would drive around and collect the proceeds of drug sales from street level customers and safe houses and come together in locations including carparks at Brisbane Technology Park at Eight Mile Plains.
“In these locations large sums of cash is counted and bundled into $10,000 stacks,” the documents allege.
“This aspect is allegedly controlled by Shirwac Yusuf whom directs other defendants and also maintains what is owed by them for drugs they have obtained to sell”.
Apparently aware of police tactics, it’s alleged that some members took to using secret hydraulic compartments built into their cars to conceal drugs and money and which could only be accessed by operating a sequence of buttons on the dashboard and on remote, the documents state.
Police installed a surveillance device in Shirwac Yusuf’s Hyundai Elantra, alleging it captured many of the defendants and their associates discussing their involvement in trafficking, sourcing drugs, negotiating prices, collecting debts, stand over tactics and police methodologies.
Police estimated that more than $1 million in cash had allegedly been transacted through the car since the device was installed.
Police allege the following conversation captured a discussion around using children as drug runners.
Bhagoo: “Ah bro, do you know any little kids that want to push?”
Aden Warsame: “I’m telling you, if this works out, I’ll find us a kid … looking for kids bro I’m desperate. Any of yous know a little kid or two? Wallah, they can like, buds not hard to move. Premo. “I’d say we can make 3k each P if we can move like 3 or 4, break it down.”
Police allege they are discussing the “realistic acquisition of children for the use of running drugs”.
But barrister Matt Hynes, instructed by Owens & Associates, for Aden Warsame – who studied computer science – said identification evidence was “always an issue when it comes to voice and visual recognition cases like this” referring to the surveillance device and telephone intercepts.
Aden Warsame, who was arrested while driving a 2020 Mercedes-Benz C300, was denied bail last week along with Shirwac Yusuf’s brother Yusuf Yusuf.
During Aden Warsame’s application the Crown opposed bail relying on an intercepted telephone conversation which it alleged demonstrated the defendant’s willingness to threaten in order to recover drug debts. It’s alleged a customer had owed him $40,000 but only paid half the debt before saying he needed to go to hospital but would leave the remaining money with a friend.
“I was like to him if you make me go to Chermside at this time of night, for no absolute reason I’m going to come back here and set you alight c**t. I got so dirty, so angry bro. They pissed me off bro,” Aden Warsame allegedly told an unknown person.
On another occasion Aden Warsame, accused of being a mid-tier member of KTM, allegedly said “some of the stuff I’m going to do today will be proper stand over sh*t”.
According to the documents, police identified a Facebook account under the name Sami Collin allegedly linked to KTM members that was trafficking drugs online.
An undercover officer engaged with Sami Collin online, seeking to purchase a quarter ounce of meth and later that evening met up with an alleged KTM member and purchased the drugs. Over the course of the investigation the cop would go on to purchase 1.4kg of meth, with an average purity of 75 per cent, from the group, according to police claims in court documents.
Police identified the ongoing use of two Toyota Camrys by various members of the syndicate, that were rented, and on occasions displayed UBER signage.
Other vehicles used by some in the group were notably more upscale.
“Police have also identified the purchase of a number of high-end vehicles by senior members of the syndicate including Mercedes Benzs and Range Rovers and have evidence suggesting that these vehicles were purchased with tainted monies,” the court documents said.
The case is next in court on Monday.
Originally published as ‘Know little kids that want to push?’ Disturbing words allegedly used by suspected KTM gang member