News Mega Merged Drug Bust Thread v. "Drug Wars" a Bust

[Jabberwocky]

(AUS) It was a white Christmas after all: Police seize $360m worth of cocaine in BUST

Sydney Fish Market drug bust sees 15 men arrested and $360 million worth of cocaine seized in Christmas Day raids

• 
  Australian police dismantled a Sydney based drug syndicate on Christmas Day
  A group of 15 men were charged with drug importation following raids in Sydney
  Police found 500 kilograms of cocaine hidden on a small boat worth $15 million
  The cocaine was allegedly smuggled from Chile on a Sydney fishing trawler
  The men are believed to have been involved in importing $360 worth of cocaine

A group of 15 men including a former NRL player have been arrested for their alleged involvement in smuggling $360 million worth cocaine into Australia on a fishing trawler.

The Australian Federal Police and New South Wales Drug Squad swooped on members of the alleged drug syndicate after nightfall as they celebrated Christmas on the of Sydney Fish Market-based fishing trawler, Dalrymple.

Officers seized 500 kilograms of cocaine worth $15 million labelled with Armani branding from an inflatable boat as it approached a dock in Brooklyn, north of Sydney, which was allegedly imported from Chile on the commercial fishing vessel.

Former eastern suburbs cafe owner Darren Mohr, (pictured) who used to own a Bondi Rescue HQ cafe run by lifesavers, was among the 15 men police allege were involved in the syndicate

Former Sydney Roosters player John Tobin, 57, was also arrested for his alleged involvement

Former Sydney Roosters player John Tobin, 57, and Darren Mohr, who owned Bondi Rescue HQ cafe were among those charged with importing and attempting to import a border-controlled drug, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Lifeguards from the famed reality television show Bondi Rescue helped run Mohr's cafe and were heavily involved with its promotion.

Mohr has documented his life of luxury online, with his social media accounts featuring pictures laying on beaches in Thailand and donning designer suits at prestigious yacht clubs during the Grand Prix in Monaco.


Thirteen other men, aged between 29 and 63, have also been charged.

Sydney men Stuart Ayrton, 54, Reuben John Dawe, 41, Jonathan Paul Cooper, 29, and Simon Peter Spero, 56, were refused bail when they appeared in court on Boxing Day after reportedly spending the remainder of their Christmas behind bars in Surry Hills.

Frank D’Agastino, Benjamin Allan Sara and Mohr were denied bail in Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday, while Robert Lipton and Joseph Pirrello, 63, had their cases mentioned in Parramatta Bail Court on Tuesday, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Police will allege the group were involved in trying to import five shipments of cocaine and heroin from South America, including 600 kilograms of cocaine worth $197 million that was intercepted by the French Navy in Tahiti in March.

Police said the Christmas Day raids were the culmination of a two-year investigation which was reportedly launched after officers from the NSW Drug Squad were fed 'just a thread of information' about the international drug smuggling operation.

Footage of the coordinated Christmas Day raids show officers clad in black pouncing on two different boats.

A group of men can be seen with their hands cable tied behind their backs, one in crocodile-print boxers, as police execute a search warrant on Dalrymple.

They were later handcuffed and escorted from the boat to police holding cells.

This took place as large duffle bags containing vital evidence were seen being taken from the small inflatable boat in Brooklyn by plain-clothed officers.

Police have released little information about their investigation but said they are confident the two-year long operation had led to the arrest of every single member involved in the criminal organisation from 'top to bottom'.

AFP Acting Assistant Commissioner Chris Sheehan, NSW Police Force Assistant Commissioner Mark Jenkins and Australian Border Force Acting Assistant Commissioner Tim Fitzgerald will reveal more about the investigation on Thursday.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...on-Sydney-Fish-Market-raid-Christmas-Day.html

 

[consumer]

Thats going to make a big dent in supply. I have a feeling these boys have been doing this for years. I just went and stocked up on top shelf Peruvian flake after hearing this news. That will last till i head to Europe.

 

[neversickanymore]

Wont even make a dent

 

[Neithman]

title implies 360m worth was seized,actually only 15m were seized thats like 4% of what it claimed to be,speculation is no seize

 

[poledriver]

Six arrested over $60m cocaine boat bust off Tasmania

Six men have been arrested over a plot to smuggle more than $60 million worth of cocaine into Australia in an ex-Japanese whaling vessel.

Police said they will have to trawl through thousands of telephone intercepts in their case against the men.

The six were arrested during 15 raids across Victoria and Queensland on Wednesday.

They are accused of trying to import 186kg of cocaine that was seized from the 50-metre former whaling boat on December 12.

The alleged syndicate had been under surveillance for about a year before the boat was intercepted in international waters near Hobart on December 12, police said.

They described the vessel as a "mothership" from where, it is alleged, the intended drug deals were to be carried out off the coast of Tasmania.

Four of the men, Omer Tok, 39, Mohamed Kaddour, 47, Christopher Peroulis, 48, and Youssif Tawfik, 25, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court later on Wednesday.

None of the four charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of cocaine applied for bail and they were all remanded in custody until May.

In court, Australian Federal Police asked for extra time to go through the evidence against the men.

"There are ... probably thousands of listening devices and telephone intercepts that need to be transcribed, and in a few cases interpreted," a federal prosecutor told the court.

He said the charges involved a ship that was registered internationally.

In Queensland, Vasilious Triantafilopoulos appeared in the Brisbane Magistrates Court where an order was made to extradite him to Melbourne.

Moshey Youkhana will also be extradited to Melbourne after he faced the Southport Magistrates Court.

Earlier in Melbourne on Wednesday AFP assistant commissioner Neil Gaughan told reporters at a press conference that the men were part of a "well-funded, determined and significant" organised crime cell.

The cocaine, which has not yet been tested for purity, found on the ship was wrapped in plastic bricks labelled with horse and camel stickers.

Police also seized about $93,000 in cash, a quantity of drugs, stolen vessels and a pill press after searching houses, factories and boats in Melbourne and hotel rooms in Queensland.

Ten men who were found on board the boat, nine Chinese and one Singaporean, were charged last year over cocaine haul.

The Victorian Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (JOCTF) announced the results of the major multi-agency operation this afternoon.

"We see this is a fantastic outcome in terms of reducing the harm that these drugs do in the community," one spokesman said.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/20...er-60m-cocaine-boast-bust#ffSleKqXb57moL8F.99

 

[poledriver]

Man charged after 22 balloons of heroin found during search – #CentennialPark

 

[Felonious Monk]

Port St. Lucie man charged with importing, distributing LSD

FORT PIERCE
A Port St. Lucie man faces federal charges after he allegedly tried to import and ship LSD to other countries.

Ralph Robert James Sergo, 24, appeared in federal court Wednesday in Fort Pierce. Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Frank J. Lynch, Jr. ordered that Sergo be detained pending trail.

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He is accused of drug trafficking and possessing a firearm while trafficking. If convicted, he would face 10 years to life on the drug trafficking charges and five years to life on the weapons charge. He is scheduled to be arraigned Feb. 1.

According to court records, the investigation began Oct. 11 when Homeland Security Investigations agents intercepted a package shipped from Denmark. A small amount of LSD was found hidden in a skin-cream jar that was inside a gift box.

On Tuesday, agents obtained a warrant to search a home in Port St. Lucie. The agents reportedly found drug paraphernalia, a small plastic bag and glass jars containing a powder that tested positive for the presence of LSD, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

They also found shipping receipts in Sergo’s car, including one dated Tuesday that had been shipped from the Stuart post office. The agents reportedly used the receipts to intercept an outbound package. The package contained 85 grams of an orange, granular substance that tested positive for the presence of LSD, authorities said.

As agents conducted their search, Sergo arrived at the home carrying a loaded Smith and Wesson .38 caliber firearm, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

He allegedly admitted to having jars containing powder LSD in the house. He told investigators he had mailed a package to Mexico and was expecting another package from Denmark, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Rumors abound that this may be a specific DN seller.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/c...ting-distributing-lsd/jjeDqyvJ7vM6Q9Mmb8Y9gN/

 

[consumer]

Doesn't sound like the best crystal if it is orange.

 

['medicine cabinet']

Wow 85gr?

That would fetch a pretty penny. Never been big into psych but LSD and more so it's synth is fascinating.

 

[Felonious Monk]

From the discussions I read it wasn't clear whether people believed the 85g was actually LSD crystal or possibly something else or possibly a misstatement by the newspaper. Since 85g of orange crystal doesn't necessarily make sense (and is also almost 1m doses). The whole thing started when they found 7g of crystal in a package from Denmark (like 70k doses).

 

['medicine cabinet']

Yea that's more plausible, it could have been "cut" for lack of a better word...I mean I don't get why seomeone would do that as it would make laying more difficult, or maybe it was just really poorly made....The world may never know....

Lol actually the world will never know bc there are hardly ever any follow-up articles on lab tests.

 

[consumer]

the ALD-52 crystal was a yellowy orange colour. I wouldn't be shocked if people were laying that and claiming it to be lsd-25

 

['medicine cabinet']

Totally possible. I bet that would field test hot for LSD.

 

[consumer]

Yeah it would test positive for sure.

 

[consumer]

ALD-52 is the best of the other lysergamides from what i hear. I have had L from the same place as you ( edit that name out btw ) twice. Two different batches of crystal. Both independently tested by energy control. One was 98.5% pure Swiss Bliss crystal and the other was 99.5% needlepoint and the EC report backed up the vendors claims regarding quality. Personally i think it does not get better than that so i have no real desire to try the others now. I would stick with that source. Quality is AAAAA grade and the price is right.

 

[poledriver]

Hi-tech Melbourne operation seizes $186m of drugs hidden in charcoal

New hi-tech X-ray equipment has helped Australian Border Force (ABF) officers nab $186 million worth of cocaine and ice bound for Australia.

The massive haul was concealed in mining equipment and among shards of activated charcoal - a technique used to throw off X-ray scanners.

The haul was scanned by ABF officers after it arrived in a container shipped from South Africa to Melbourne’s docks on December 15 last year in a joint operation with Australian Federal Police.

Officers allegedly found 254kg of cocaine from Colombia in one kilogram packages and 104kg of methamphetamine from China hidden inside an iron ore extraction machine and covered with the charcoal.

Once the container arrived from South Africa, it was delivered by truck to Oakley where it sat until it was put on an interstate train to Sydney.

Four men have been arrested - three in Sydney and one in Melbourne - after the drugs were repacked and tracked to Sydney by officials.

“These arrests send a strong message to criminals who choose to import harmful drugs into our community for their own profits – you will be caught, no matter how creative you believe your concealment method may be,” AFP Commander John Beveridge said.

The three men were arrested in Sydney on February 5 during raids on homes on the Central Coast.

A 47-year-old Watanobbi man, a 39-year-old Doonside man and a 75-year-old South African man were charged with attempting to import commercial quantities of border controlled drugs.

A fourth Roxburgh Park man was arrested in Melbourne on Wednesday and charged with one count of importing commercial quantities of border controlled drugs.

Authorities say it has been a "bumper season" for drug detection, with further arrests expected.

The men face up to life in prison.

Read more at http://www.9news.com.au/national/20...ers-facing-life-in-prison#EmhrpgCcIFUXGsYB.99

 

[Jabberwocky]

Cocaine, an ink business and consignment parcels: workings of a drugs ring revealed
It was the lucrative package they had allegedly been waiting for.

Half a kilogram of cocaine concealed within a DHL consignment, sent from Hollywood Boulevard in California and destined for Sydney's western suburbs.

Under surveillance by police investigating a transnational cocaine syndicate, Youssef Ahmad and Mohommed El-Khair are spotted in 2015 picking up the parcel in Bankstown.

But when the pair opened the consignment, they found blocks of wood, placed their by the FBI days earlier, in replacement of the cocaine.

The heated exchange and disbelief that ensued between Ahmad and El-Khair formed part of the police allegation that the pair had knowledge of the cocaine shipment and were willing players in the international importation.

Police started investigating money laundering and drug supply after authorities suspected cocaine was making its way into Australia from Southern California via air freight and mail.

This week the strike force, including the NSW Organised Crime Squad and Australia Federal Police, arrested its 30th person, after seizing more than $47 million worth of drugs and $1.2 million in cash.

One of the networks at the centre of the sweeping investigation involved El-Khair, Alfred Manukyan and Ahmad, the younger brother of slain underworld figure Wally Ahmad.
The details of how the syndicate allegedly operated have been laid bare in a statement of police facts tendered in court after Manukyan's arrest in Sydney on February 3.

More than 500 phone calls were intercepted and many hours of surveillance carried out for over a year as police pieced together how the cocaine network operated.

Machinery parts and sporting equipment were allegedly filled with cocaine before being packed in boxes and dropped at unassuming postage centres in America.

Manukyan is accused of fulfilling this role, allegedly sourcing cocaine for Ahmad and sending it to Australia from Southern California on three occasions.

According to the facts, in September 2015, Manukyan was seen sending a box marked "used motor parts" from a shopping centre in North Hollywood to an ink business in Silverwater.

When the parcel reached customs in Australia, authorities allegedly found about 970 grams of cocaine inside.

El-Khair was seen loitering around the Silverwater business where the box was meant to arrive, making call after call to DHL trying to hunt down the parcel's whereabouts.

On another occasion, the FBI intercepted a parcel Manukyan had allegedly sent and found 190 grams of cocaine concealed in baseball equipment.

Police allege Ahmad travelled to Los Angeles in 2015 to meet Manukyan and was taken to various distribution points in the city.

In a bid to allegedly throw off authorities, the syndicate also allegedly sent a number of "dry runs" - packages without drugs in them - on their usual route.

Last June, in simultaneous raids, Ahmad and El-Khair were arrested at their Punchbowl homes and charged with drug importation.

Police allege Ahmed was "the ringleader of the Australian drug network" and had a number of people, including El-Khair, carrying out activities at his behest, the facts state.

Several months later in February, Manukyan arrived in Sydney, where detectives were waiting.

The 47-year-old, who is now facing three drug importation charges, was arrested on route to Sydney International Airport on February 3.

Police say they expect further charges to be laid with investigations still going in NSW and America.

"We are proud of the significant drug and cash seizures, but the real focus is disrupting and dismantling criminal networks," Organised Crime Squad Detective Superintendent Scott Cook said.

"The members of this criminal network have been charged with more than 100 offences relating to the importation of drugs, money laundering, fraud, and a range of other matters."

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/cocaine-a...of-a-drugs-ring-revealed-20170209-gu9rkw.html

 

[Jabberwocky]

Drugs, cash and loaded handguns seized in $5m Rozelle bust
Nearly $5 million worth of drugs, loaded handguns and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash have been seized at homes in Sydney's inner west during a police investigation into Assyrian organised crime networks in the area.

A 30-year-old man will face court on Friday charged over the drugs and weapons cache at the homes on Mullens Street and Pine Street in Rozelle this week.

Police established Operation Condor to investigate the ongoing supply of drugs and firearms by Assyrian organised crime networks in Sydney's inner west, and on Wednesday executed a search warrant at a home on Mullens Street.

Inside the home, officers allegedly discovered 2.7 kilograms of cocaine, about 15,500 ecstasy tablets, four handguns and ammunition. Two of the handguns were loaded, police say.

At 10.45am on Thursday, police arrested a 30-year-old man on Mullens Street and took him to Surry Hills Police Station for questioning.

At the same time, police also raided another home, on Pine Street in Rozelle, where they allegedly seized $300,000 in cash, 12.3 kilograms of cocaine, 13.4 kilograms of methylamphetamine, almost 3.5 kilograms of an unknown powder, jewellery, two handguns, as well as a motorcycle and a Toyota HiAce van.
The estimated street value of the cocaine seized is about $4.5 million and of the methylamphetamine $310,000, police say.

Police also searched a home on Glenhaven Road in Glenhaven, but did not seize any items there.

The man has been charged with 15 offences including supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, possessing an unregistered firearm, possessing an unauthorised pistol and not keeping firearms safely.

He was refused police bail, and is due to appear in Central Local Court on Friday.

Source:http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/drugs-cas...eized-in-5m-rozelle-bust-20170209-gu9ow4.html

 

[Jabberwocky]

Border Force use X-ray equipment in Melbourne to find $186m cocaine, ice drug haul
A MASSIVE haul of cocaine and ice worth $186 million, which arrived in Melbourne hidden in mining machinery, has been intercepted by border officials with new hi-tech X-ray equipment.

The alleged drug traffickers tried to trick the futuristic scanners by concealing the drugs with shards of charcoal.

Four men — one in Melbourne and three in Sydney — have been arrested following the discovery of the drugs in a shipping container from South Africa.

Australian Border Force officers used the new X-ray equipment to scan the container after it arrived at Melbourne docks on December 15 last year.

Inside, they found 254kg of cocaine and 104kg of methamphetamine concealed within 358 packages. The drugs had been hidden inside mining machinery and covered with shards of charcoal — a technique used by criminals to trick X-ray machines.

After the new X-ray machine, which has only been in operation for a few months, picked up an anomaly, officers carried out a physical inspection and found the drugs.

Having discovered the huge stash of coke and ice, officers put the packages of illicit drugs back where they found them and allowed them to continue on their journey in a controlled delivery.

Police then tracked the drugs as they went by train to Sydney.

On Sunday, three men, aged 47, 75 and 39, were arrested in Sydney in connection with the massive import plot.

Search warrants were then executed in the NSW Central Coast and Victoria. On Wednesday, a 38-year-old Roxburgh Park man was also arrested in Melbourne.

ABF Regional Commander for Victoria and Tasmania, James Watson, praised his officers at the Melbourne Container Examination Facility for the “outstanding detection”.

“Our officers have the expertise and technology to detect even the most sophisticated concealment,” Mr Watson said.

“In this instance, our upgraded container X-ray technology has been able to penetrate through several layers of steel, machinery and coal/stones to identify these concealed packages.

“The success of this operation once again highlights how effectively Australia’s border and law enforcement agencies are at working together to stop illicit drugs from entering our community.”

AFP Commander John Beveridge said the force and its partners would continue to aim at “those who believe they are above the law”.

“These arrests send a strong message to criminals who choose to import harmful drugs into our community for their own profits — you will be caught, no matter how creative you believe your concealment method may be,” he said.

The four men who were arrested are facing charges relating to importing illicit drugs in a commercial quantity and possession offences.



SOURCE:http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/la...l/news-story/4b5291045d263dd3f435a94789bd6cdc

 

[poledriver]

Italian woman charged with allegedly importing $1.1m of cocaine into Melbourne

The woman was allegedly concealed cocaine in a hidden compartment of her bag. (Australian Federal Police)

A 39-year-old woman has been charged after allegedly importing around five kilograms of cocaine into Melbourne.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said the woman arrived at Melbourne Airport from Rome on Sunday.

Border security officers selected her for a bag scan, in which an X-ray allegedly revealed a false, plywood bottom in one of the bags.

Several packages found in the bag’s compartment tested positive to cocaine, authorities said.

The exact weight and purity of the drug remains unconfirmed, however the estimated street value of the haul is $1.1 million.

The woman was charged with importing and possessing a border controlled drug at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court earlier today.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/20...aine-at-melbourne-airport#TSCoXwEXEM0PJup6.99