Strike Force Raptor hits Middle East gangs
MIDDLE Eastern crime families in Sydney have been reminded they are in the sights of a beefed-up Strike Force Raptor with raids on homes and businesses on the weekend.
Until this week, Raptor had targeted only bikie gangs. But the Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad has merged with the Gangs Squad to form the Criminal Groups Squad.
“Over the weekend we carried out 24 firearm prohibition searches on 24 premises of known Middle Eastern criminals and their associates just to make sure those groups and families don’t think they can relax,” Criminal Groups Squad head Detective Superintendent Deborah Wallace said.
“If you are a member of a criminal group and drive or operate a business, Raptor will use traffic infringements, compliance to council
laws, taxation laws and consorting laws to disrupt any illegal activities.”
The Daily Telegraph was granted exclusive access to the raids, the first by the new squad. The raids will continue for weeks.
In the weekend operation, police seized one illegal weapon and large amounts of cash and suspected steroids, as well as issuing scores of infringement notices.
The raids were designed to send a message that the disbanding of MEOCS did not mean crime families were not going to be targeted, and also allowed police to gather intelligence.
“To us it’s business as usual and all that has happened is we are now just expanding our operations to include other criminal targets, not just bikies,” Ms Wallace said.