Operation Ironside: 38 arrested after 55 Qld raids in Australia’s biggest-ever crime bust

Thirty-eight Queenslanders are among those arrested in Australia’s largest ever crime bust that has included more than 250 officers in 55 raids across the state, with video showing some of the raids.

Thirty-eight Queenslanders including a Ninja Warrior contestant, former Bandidos bikies and a Brisbane carpenter are among those arrested in Australia’s largest ever crime bust.

Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Lesa Gale said police had arrested the 38 people including major organised crime figures and bikies, charging them with a total of 152 offences.

More than 250 officers have so far been involved in 55 raids in Queensland.

Across the country more than 100 people across have been charged, with police alleging they have seized 3366kg of drugs and $35 million in dirty cash at the culmination of a three-year investigation cooked up by the Australian Federal Police and the FBI.

The sophisticated sting involved police planting mobile phones into criminal syndicates loaded with compromised encrypted apps.

One of many arrests made as part of the nationwide Operation Ironside.

Drug traffickers allegedly used the app, AN0M, to conduct business, not knowing the AFP was capturing every message, photograph and phone call.

Investigators claim they foiled 21 murder plots using information uncovered via AN0M.

A Ninja Warrior contestant and a former Bandidos bikie caught up in the infamous Broadbeach brawl are among Queenslanders arrested in Australia’s largest ever crime bust.

“It really has enabled the Australian federal police a hammer blow on serious organised crime across the country,” Ms Gale said.

“Queensland is a safer state because of this unprecedented AFP and QPS led operation,” she said.

“The results have already had a devastating consequence for those who seek to harm Australians and Australians’ interests.

“Operation Ironside promises to reverberate across the criminal world for years to come.

“For nearly three years police have been monitoring the most intimate conversations from some of the state’s most dangerous criminals.

Ms Gale said Operation Ironside North-Shropshire led to the dismantling of a criminal syndicate trafficking drugs and weapons around Brisbane and the Gold Coast with links to interstate couriers.

Police seized five weapons, more than 200kg of drugs, $310,000 in cash, luxury vehicles, clothes and watches.

Ms Gale said police had charged 38 offenders, shut down two meth labs and seized five weapons and $600,000 in cash.

She said collectively they were facing jail terms which could “run into hundreds of years”.

Ms Gale said the An0m application had given law enforcement a “window into the level of criminality that we have never seen before at this scale”.

“This was a very small platform compared to some of the other encrypted platforms currently available,” she said.

AFP Assistant Commissioner Lesa Gale. Picture, John Gass

Ms Gale said she had a message for criminal syndicates.

“We will outsmart you and we will always be a step ahead,” she said.

QPS Assistant Commissioner Katherine Innes said six major criminal syndicates had been dismantled in Queensland as a result of the operations.

She said as part of Operation Mustang, a senior Comanchero was arrested on Monday as well as five other people linked to a drug trafficking syndicate operating out of Ipswich.

As part of Operation Room, a 36-year-old Oceanview man was arrested on May 18 with drug and firearm offences. She said four guns, 2kg of cocaine, a cocaine press, chemicals and drug production materials were found. She said another gun was also found.

Police raided a Mermaid Waters home on Monday and arrested a 41-year-old man, charging him with drug trafficking. She said police seized a Mercedes and $310,000.

“And in excess of 200kg of drugs were located under that operation,” Ms Innes said.

More arrests are expected within the weeks and months to come, however neither the QPS or AFP would be drawn on a time frame of when they expect all key players to be identified and charged.

Assistant Commissioner Innes said charges are expected to be laid in relation to “trusted insider matters.”

“I believe that there is ongoing investigations into a number of trusted insider matters and you will probably see further action into the weeks and months coming,” she said.

Assistant Commissioner Innes said she expects solicitors, accountants and people that may be structuring money laundering activities will be identified and charged, while she also said workers within transportation and logistics were of key focus for authorities.

“Doorways into Australia are always a matter of focus,” she said.

“Obviously a large percentage of drugs that come into Australia come in through large logistical pathways. So yes, definitely those areas will be examined ongoing.”

When asked if people outside of obvious criminal syndicates such as those in businesses, or government officials, could be charged as part of the operation Ms Innes said: “I believe that there is ongoing investigations into a number of trusted insider matters and you will probably see there will be further action into the weeks and months coming.”

Ms Innes said this could be “anything from solicitors, accountants” who may be structuring money laundering activities.

“Doorways into Australia are always a matter of focus, including logistics and transport companies, obviously a large percentage of drugs that comes into Australia does come in through external logistical pathways,” she said.

Ms Innes said it could still take police a substantial amount of time to go through the messages on the platform and could not say how long it would take police to continue their investigations.

She said the Comanchero bikie gang had been a focus in the Queensland investigations.

Of the alleged 21 murder plots found in messages none were in Queensland, Ms Gale said.

Originally published as Operation Ironside: 38 arrested after 55 Qld raids in Australia’s biggest-ever crime bust