Yusuf Shuker learns fate for selling illicit explosives and possessing firearms

A Craigieburn mechanic who discovered an illegal revenue stream selling $400k worth of fireworks during Covid lockdown was also busted “safekeeping” guns for an associate.

Yusuf Shuker has fronted Broadmeadows Magistrates court

A mechanic who found a covid-lockdown side-hustle selling almost $400,000 worth of fireworks on the blackmarket was nabbed in an undercover police sting.

Craigieburn’s Yusuf Shuker was jailed for three months and fined $1000 after he pleaded guilty in the Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court to charges of knowingly possessing explosive substances, namely fireworks, and illegal firearm possession.

The court heard Shuker popped up on police radar after a Crime Stoppers tip about a person using an alias and advertising fireworks for sale on Snapchat.

Undercover investigators exchanged text messages with a number operated by Shuker and arranged to meet him and buy fireworks

After a four-month undercover operation and multiple raids, including on Shuker’s home and business, Meelany Smash Repairs shop in Campbellfield, Shuker was taken into custody.

Police seized throw knives and extendable battens from Shuker’s home as well as a trailer at his factory, which was allegedly to be stolen from Canberra in November 2019.

Investigators also seized Shuker’s hard drive for the CCTV system installed at his factory, where they found footage of Shuker moving firearms from his car to the factory along with large quantities of ammunition.

The defendant’s lawyer told the court that the firearms didn’t belong to Shuker and he was “safekeeping” it for someone and surrendered the gun to the police.

The court heard that Shuker’s phone records revealed 393 customers were sold fireworks, and more than 750 individual fireworks were sold for a total of $397,235.

Shuker‘s defence lawyer told the court that Shuker got into selling fireworks because of Covid and was initially selling to his friends.

The court heard Sukar rented the premises where he rans smash repair shop and employed staff but needed more savings to keep up with expenses.

“Mr Suker is married with six children, for whom he was the sole breadwinner, and his father is living with him,” Suker’s lawyer said.

“When he was running out of his savings in lockdown, people contacted him and asked if he had any fireworks, maybe to entertain themselves during Covid, and he saw he could make some money by selling fireworks.”

The court heard the co-accused in the matter, Shuker’s brothers, Ibrahim Aldainy, Salah Sayadi and Ibrahim Benbrika only assisted the principal offender when it got busy and were not part of the business.

Magistrate David Langton accepted Shuker’s prior charges and said he was entitled to a sentencing discount due to his guilty plea and assistance to the police in locating the firearms.

The police prosecutor, in her sentencing submission, told the court Shuker’s offending was “very serious”.

“It‘s essentially a four-month long, criminal organised operation, and it’s a serious case for this jurisdiction to hear. Firstly explosives were not safely stored in a room and were accessible to the children aged four to 18,” the police prosecutor said.

In his sentencing, Magistrate Langton acknowledged the complicated nature of this matter and the seriousness of the charges.

“You appreciate how serious the offence is, the type of weapon and the fact that it came with a good amount of ammunition to load,” Mr Langton said

“You were in possession of a weapon capable of doing some serious damage and taking quite a few lives.”