Inside feared Melbourne gang Notorious Crime Family

The inside story of feared crime gang NCF, and how a Louis Vuitton bag brought down one of their own just this week.

Convicted drug trafficker Jimmey Barkho has NCF tattoos on both his shoulders.

A Melbourne drug trafficker has emerged as a key player in a feared new crime gang.

The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal that Jimmey Barkho is a leading figure in a northern suburbs gang known as NCF, an abbreviation of Notorious Crime Family.

The 30-year-old this week pleaded guilty to trafficking a drug of dependence after police caught him with a 200g rock of methamphetamine in his $1700 Louis Vuitton bag.

NCF has been on Victoria Police’s radar for more than a year.

Jailed organised crime strongman George Marrogi, who was in December convicted over the 2016 execution-style murder of Kadir Ors at Campbellfield Plaza, is believed to be an NCF member.

Underworld sources said that NCF has been involved in conflict with gangsters of Kurdish background for some time.

Jimmey Barkho has the NCF logo splashed across his motorcycle.

That friction has translated into shooting incidents and violent brawling, one source told the Sunday Herald Sun.

Along with its illegal activities, NCF has legitimate business interests, and has connections with New South Wales crime figures.

Members have in the past been suspected of involvement in vehicle crime, moving prestige cars back and forth between Melbourne and Sydney.

Photos obtained by the Sunday Herald Sun clearly show Barkho’s commitment to NCF, a gang with members in and outside of prison.

In one, he sits astride a three-wheel motorbike emblazoned with the NCF logo and a couple of images of machine guns.

Other pictures show the letters NCF tattooed on both of the muscular Barkho’s shoulders.

Barkho is well-connected in Middle-Eastern organised crime circles in Victoria and New South Wales, police have previously alleged.

In 2012, he was shot in the hand over a drug dispute.

“He is a prolific drug dealer. He deals drugs and lives an elaborate lifestyle,” senior constable Tom Ivanovski told a 2018 bail hearing over the methamphetamine charge.

Barkho pleaded guilty to the drug charges last week in the Melbourne County Court, asking for leniency because of his addiction issues.

He was arrested outside a Sydenham home in June, 2018, as part of a major police sweep aimed at meth traffickers in the northwest.

Police at the time said those involved were “difficult targets”.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Peter Brigham said more than 100 police were involved in the raids which aimed to bring down a “sophisticated organised crime group”.

“This group of people we have arrested are a well-versed group who are familiar with police procedures,” he said at the time.

“They are good at concealing the way they operate. They have been difficult targets.”

The methamphetamine and $8920 were found in Barkho’s designer bag.

Barkho has prior convictions for drug trafficking, theft, deception, driving offences and weapons breaches.