Nervous syndicate demand cigarette smuggler prove loyalty
The “professional smuggler” had infiltrated Michael Ibrahim’s inner circle and the plans were about to move from smuggling cigarettes to tonnes of illegal drugs. There was just one problem. READ THE TRANSCRIPT
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The “professional smuggler” had infiltrated Michael Ibrahim’s inner circle and the plans were about to move from smuggling cigarettes to tonnes of illegal drugs.
There was just one problem.
The drug lord who had access to massive stockpiles of MDMA overseas needed to be convinced they could trust the undercover.
December 29, 2016. 12.54pm
Point Piper
Attendees:
J Undercover police officer Joe Smith
R Ryan Watsford
R The boys want to know who you are, right. Michael and I are fine.
J Tell me who’s worried? Cause when you say, and I’ve got no issue, but when you say the boys it implies that more people know, than just Ferry (police allege this is Mostafa Dib)?
R Ferry and his mates.
J OK.
R They just want to know who they’re dealing with.
J OK, which is good, which is cautious.
R They … Michael goes, he goes ‘bro we’re going to be doing big numbers and we’re going to be doing big business’. He goes ‘I don’t know him’.
J OK.
R You know what I mean.
J I know what he means. That’s fine. That’s him being cautious. You know me.
R You know me as Ryan Watsford right. You know me.
J I’m Joe Smith, all right.
R But they want to know. Where does he live?
J I live in Balmain.
R Yeah, I don’t know where bro.
J (laughs)
J They want to come to my house?
R They want to meet you. It’s what they’re like.
J They want to come to my house? I don’t f**ken …
R Look the thing is this, Michael will go, on their behalf. You can come to my house. You go to Mick’s house, you know what I mean.
R they’re not going to come in and start f**king ….
J I know that.
THE IBRAHIM TAPES: READ THE TRANSCRIPTS
‘I HELPED SALIM MEHAJER WITH HIS MONEY’
‘YOU’VE EMBARRASSED ME IN FRONT OF THESE GUYS’
‘WHY AREN’T YOUSE DOING F**KING RACK AND SH*T?’
PARTYING IN THAILAND WITH THE IBRAHIM FAMILY
R You know what I’m saying. Joe, this first one you’re getting a million in cash.
J Of course.
R You know that don’t you.
J Talk to me. Before you talk about me. How are we divvying this up? What are we doing? We’re putting two and a half in. That’s no issue.
R You reckon that’s safe to do then?
J Yes. The price for them. What have you been told? It’s 50k upfront?
R Correct.
J Then it’s 350 on delivery.
R That’s it.
J If you bring 100 keg. The price is that. Same price.
R What I want to do is this, after you and I finish hanging out, having our chat, whatever, right. I will go and see Michael tonight or tomorrow. Say we had a great meeting, everything’s sweet.
J Of course.
R You go and talk to Ferry because Ferry’s your mate. You can go listen, this is who he is. He goes who’s this Ryan bloke you’re hanging around with from the Eastern Suburbs. He goes Mate he’s been with my brother John for 15 years. He goes no, who is he, who is he? What does he do? I know he drives a Maserati but what does this bloke do?
J I’m happy that they’re this cautious. Trust me, it’s not like, you know what that’s why yesterday or today or whatever happened. People are too quick to rush into it.
R There’s 15 blokes involved in something like this. It’s …. I’m telling you. The thing that happened yesterday. I had (name undecipherable) sitting at a table at Indigo next to me two months ago. I had no idea what he was up to. The c**t got arrested up the road from my house.
R Listen, I spoke to Mick at the car wash. He goes Ryan, listen brother, Ryan … it’s not me OK.
J Don’t think I’m getting offended.
THE IBRAHIM TAPES: READ THE TRANSCRIPTS
HOW DEAL OVER SMUGGLED CIGARETTES TURNED UGLY
‘FOOLPROOF’ METHOD OF IMPORTING DRUGS INTO COUNTRY
‘I’VE GOT 50 KEGS OF COCAINE IN LEBANON READY’
R You know what? It makes them all chill out a bit. You know what I mean.
J Of course and I hope you don’t think that I’m getting … I like. trust me I admire that this has come up.
J I’m happy to tell you what you need to know about me but I got to know from their point … the only reason I’m here is, and not one of my boys dealing with you, is because of you and because of Mick.
R That’s right. The thing is this, we don’t want to deal with anyone else.
J Exactly.
R And we don’t know who your boys are.
J Exactly, and you never will.
R Can I tell you something, I don’t want to know. The only bloke I’ve seen is some bloke with a pony tale that drives a truck.
J He doesn’t know anything.
R I don’t know his name. I don’t want to know him.
J Listen, and I said this to Mick. I know Mick from the homework I’ve done. I know the family name.
R You know us.
J I know how established the family name is. I’m not going to f**king … I admire how they’ve done it.
R Yeah of course
J And listen for that reason, I’m here to make sure nothing goes wrong. Not one of my boys, no one else. You deal with me, I deal with you, to make sure out of respect for that family.
R Exactly.
J So that’s me, that’s why.
R That’s fine, that’s perfect. But, it’s just like. They know who I am, this is.
J What’s going to ease their mind? Tell me what’s going to ease their mind?
R This is going to be consistent, understand?
J 100 per cent. I don’t want this to be a short term thing.
R In one month we’re going to make a million bucks. And plus, All these kilos of rack that we’re getting, you’re in with that with me and Michael anyway.
J This is what’s confusing me, what are we bringing in?
R I’m going to find out when we, give me a few days and we’ll meet Saturday and we’ll have a chat.
J Saturday I might be in Melbourne.
R OK.
J What about next week?
R That’s fine.
J We’ll sit down with Ferry.
R That’s no problem.
J Before I give you the company, I need specifics.
R That’s cool.
J Listen, so you can tell em. I need specifics, which I’ll give you.
R Yep.
J So that once we have our chat. So that I can work out a cover load. And then once I hook that up and you get the cover load get the company, invoice it back. That all might take. That will take as long as it takes your guys. Then once that’s organised, we wait 4-6 weeks before it gets here. Then we wait one week. And just watch it, make sure no one goes near it. If someone goes near it, we walk away.
R Do you reckon they will?
J Nup. But we just do that to make sure.
R Do you trust your people?
J 100 per cent.
R Are you sure?
J 100 per cent. With my life.
R What about (indecipherable)
J They didn’t use a company.
R We’ve got to be so careful man.
J Don’t f**king tell anyone. You tell Mick, you tell Ferry, that’s it. Ferry tells his guy, I tell the company guy, that’s it. My freight forwarder, that’s it.
R We’re looking at 20 years jail, you know what I mean.
J Ryan, we’re not getting caught.
R I know that but …. we’ve got to be cautious mate, it’s dangerous.
J Look we don’t do civvies, we don’t do this, whatever. All we do is meet up .
R All the boys want to know is this: your last name, your full name, your last name and your address and that’s it, that’s it.
J I I I live in … listen.
R That’s it that’s all they want to know. That’s it and then they’re right to go. That’s it. That’s all they want to know.
J Joe Smith. (Address removed)
R Well, what number?
J 110.
R Is that your house? Your parents’ house?
J No, it’s a unit. It’s a block of units.
R Right.
J Listen.
R You’ve got to trust me on this.
J I trust you, listen.
R Because I’m going to take you to my house.
J I trust, I trust you.
R I live with my mum.
J I am moving. Listen. In with my missus. I’m going to move in with my missus.
R Yeah.
J Like I said in there. She doesn’t know, she knows I move a bit of money. But she doesn’t know anything about this.
R Yeah.
J While we look for a place, we’re moving in with her sister.
R Right.
J Once we find a place, I’ll put on a dinner. When she’s out, I’ll put on a dinner.
R Yeah that’s fine.
J If they’re happy with that.
R That’s fine bro. Can I tell you, because it makes people more comfortable. Here is this bloke, he’s come out of the blue.
J You know what. We’ll have a f**ing poker night. We’ll get some cigars.
R Yeah, done.
J We’ll play some poker.
R Mate, that’s it. It’s just comfortability, you know what I mean. Because we’re in bed together and we’re doing stuff.
J It’s a two-way street.
R 100 per cent.
J I trust you but now I need to know where Ferry lives.
R 100 per cent.
J So who is he?
R He’s Mick’s mate, that’s fine. I’ll tell Michael, that’s no drama. There’s no problem
J Just explain to them, it’s a two-way street. If they want to know this shit about me, I want to know this shit about them.
R You’ve got my word. That’s full respect. You’ve got my word.
J All right. Well, now you know.
R You’ve got my word, you’ve got my word mate. Because if we’re going to enter into something like this we’ve got to put all our cards out on the table. Our passports, our drivers licences. This is how it works mate. I’m telling you.
Originally published as Nervous syndicate demand cigarette smuggler prove loyalty
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