Ken McKay’s killer deal to retrieve stolen rocket launcher

When a hardened cop negotiated the return of a stolen rocket launcher from a dangerous crime gang, a nightmare scenario emerged. With another 10 missing, who had the firepower to wreak havoc on Australian streets like never before? LISTEN NOW

For years rumours swirled among law enforcement agencies that high level crime gangs, including terrorists and outlaw bikies, had access to rocket launchers.

But it took a dangerous deal by former top cop Ken McKay, negotiating with a Middle Eastern crime figure locked in a bloody gang war, to prove it.

The former NSW Police Assistant Commissioner got his hands on one of the stolen army weapons in 2006, in a mission even the bomb squad wouldn’t touch.

But his success confirmed a nightmare scenario. An investigation discovered that 11 had been stolen from a military base and ever since ASIO, the Australian Federal Police and NSW cops have lived with the fear they are out there somewhere, waiting to be used.

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The mystery of the launchers persists to this day, with theories ranging from them being buried somewhere in a national park to having been sent overseas to support terrorist operations.

McKay has his own theories, but tells the Police Tape podcast it was their perceived value as a bargaining chip that saw him recover one of the weapons.

The rocket launcher retrieved by Ken McKay and his team.

Adnan Darwiche, a major player in a brutal war with another Middle Eastern crime family called Razzak, was in jail for his part in the war between the two families, serving life sentences for two murders.

“Now this is how nuts it is. One of the them is in Lithgow jail, and we’re still trying to gather evidence on any number of things on him,’’ McKay recalls.

Adnan Darwiche gave up a rocket launcher in a deal with McKay.

He said a number of his young team had done extensive work on the Darwiche family and had also become convinced that the Darwiche family had access to the rumoured rocket launchers.

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“So I went out to Lithgow jail to interview him about things. He wanted to make a deal … he wanted me to give (him) complete immunity from the murders and walk out of jail, which is really an absolute absurdity,’’ the former detective said.

“Anyway, his mother owed the NSW Crime Commission $25,000 after they did some assessment on some property … I said, ‘I’ll get the Crime Commissioner to lay off the 25 grand, you give me the rocket launcher’.

“It went from him getting complete immunity to negotiating and negotiating, and in the end he got nothing. Just the 25 grand for his mum — and he said, ‘I’m happy’.”

Former top cop Ken “Slasher” McKay at the recording of Police Tape. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

McKay also told Police Tape details of the day he went and took possession of the rocket launcher, saying he was at home on a Saturday when he got a phone call to meet someone at Bankstown.

Detective Mark Wakeham poses with the rocket launcher.

“He’s got a rocket launcher, so we went and got our M72 (handheld rocket launcher),’’ he said, as if it was a everyday occurrence.

In fact, it’s a story that is now part of police folklore.

McKay and another detective set out without protective clothing or backing from the heavily-armed tactical response unit or even the fire brigade on standby.

“We had one gun, no radio … the bomb squad wouldn’t come out … they said it would be too dangerous,” McKay said.

The officers went to the address in Bankstown for the prearranged afternoon meeting and collected their prize.

“We stuck (it) in the back of the car and took it back to the office,” he said, chuckling.

While some people thought his actions were foolhardy, McKay said there was no danger.

“We had done our research. We’re sensible people and (are) not going to do silly things.

“You’ve got to arm it, but in itself it’s not a very dangerous piece of equipment. They’re (like) plastic explosives, it’s not a danger if kept away from any detonators and stuff like that.’’

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McKay believes the remaining rockets are most likely dead and buried.

“The longer it goes on without them being found, the more convinced I am they don’t exist or someone just completely got rid of and buried them somewhere,’’ he said.

“There was talk of them being buried in the National Park down south (of Sydney), one would anticipate that by now they would have been utilised.”

He also believes authorities would know if the launchers were still in play.

“Don’t forget the quality of the crooks you are dealing with. They can’t help themselves,’’ he said referring to their constant bragging.

“One would say, ‘Look at my rocket launcher’, the other (would) say, ‘I’ve got three’. They can’t help themselves talking about it. And whoever they told would not help themselves either and would give them up straightaway. It’s just the way the world goes round in that world,’’ he said.

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Originally published as Ken McKay’s killer deal to retrieve stolen rocket launcher