Crime kingpin’s associate charged in huge drugs, guns bust

Footage has captured a huge evidence haul being squeezed into detectives’ car as a Middle-Eastern organised crime figure was arrested in a major drugs and guns bust in Brunswick.

Underworld figure Rami Margus has been entangled in a police bust of an international meth, cigarette and gun-smuggling operation.

Margus – previously revealed as an associate of exiled crime kingpin Kazem Hamad – has been charged with drug trafficking after an eight month investigation.

The 32-year-old from Tullamarine is one of 12 people arrested since May over the sprawling inquiry, in which 11.8kg of meth, 2.8 million illegal cigarettes and 14 guns were seized.

Police allege methamphetamine was being shipped from Spain and cigarettes out of Dubai through international freight.

Rami Margus is facing 70 charges following a police bust in Brunswick.

The drugs and smokes were allegedly then sent to factories in Epping and Craigieburn and a storage facility in Flemington.

Australian Border Force officers detected the shipments allegedly linked to the ring at the border in April and reported what they had found to Victoria Police.

Detectives from the North West Metro Regional Crime Squad had already allegedly been investigating the syndicate for firearms and drug trafficking.

Those officers then began probing the importation activity.

Five people were arrested during the raids. Picture: Supplied

Margus and a 25-year-old Brunswick East woman were among five people arrested in May in a sweep of warrants.

They were charged with drug trafficking at the time but handed a combined 100 more counts this week.

Margus is facing 70 charges, including Commonwealth offences of attempting to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled substance and attempting to import tobacco products with the intention to defraud revenue.

He is also on 26 counts of breaching parole.

Also detained in the same phase of arrests were a Wollert man, 27, a Tullamarine woman, 27, and a Hadfield woman, 23.

All will appear in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on September 30.

Dozens of bags of evidence were seized from the Brunswick property.

Other people have been charged since last month or are set to be charged soon.

They are:

A SUNBURY man, 39, who faces 14 counts of being a prohibited person possessing a firearm, possessing a trafficable quantity of firearms and tobacco and electronic cigarette offences

A BRUNSWICK West woman, 25, who is charged with knowingly dealing in the proceeds of crime and dealing with property reasonable suspected of being the proceeds of crime.

A WOLLERT woman, 27, who is expected to be charged on summons with the destruction of evidence.

AN ESSENDON man, 18, who faces counts of possessing methylamphetamine, possessing buprenorphine and three counts of failing to comply with an order.

A HADFIELD man, 24, who is expected to be charged with criminal proceeds offences.

Detectives load evidence bags into the waiting station wagon. Picture: Supplied

Two others, an 18-year-old Airport West man and 58-year-old Brunswick West woman, have been interviewed and released pending further inquiries, police say.

A stolen car, a boat, luxury jewellery and designer clothes have also been seized as part of the ongoing investigation.

Detective Inspector Geoff Owen of North West Metro Regional Crime Squad said police were determined to make Victoria a hostile place for organised crime figures involved in drug and gun trafficking.

“We can only imagine the harm caused if these drugs and firearms made their way into the community,” Inspector Owen said.

“Our work does not stop here. In fact, those involved in the illicit drug and firearm trade should know that police have you in our sights.”