Dubai Police arrest two drug lords
Australians nabbed within seven days of Interpol issuing alert
Dubai Police yesterday said they have arrested two Australian kingpins of a drug network that smuggled nearly three tonnes of drugs worth $150 million into Australia.
Maj Gen Abdullah Khalifa Al Merri, Dubai Police Chief, said that Benjamin Neil and Mathew John, who are part of the Millstream gang, were arrested within seven days of receiving an Interpol red alert.
The two suspects were planning to leave the UAE, but a Dubai Police Swat team zeroed in on their location and arrested them.
The operation follows the arrest of three men in Australia in June. Information shared by Australian authorities was analysed at Dubai Police’s data centre and the two suspects were identified as staying in Dubai.
In December 2013, Australian authorities established Strike Force Millstream to investigate the large-scale supply of drugs, mainly MDMA and methylamphetamine.
Dubai Police have arrested two Australians, considered kingpins of a major drug trafficking operation that smuggled nearly three tonnes of drugs into Australia with a street value of $150 million (Dh550 million), officials said yesterday.
Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Merri, CommanderIn-Chief of Dubai Police, said the two wanted men, Benjamin Neil and Mathew John, who are part of the Millstream drug gang, were arrested within seven days after receiving an Interpol red warrant.
Several raids were conducted in Australia that led to the arrest of three men, two in Sydney and one in Muswellbrook in June 2020.
“The success of the operation came after directives and support of Lt. General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, to work with other countries in fighting organised crimes. Dubai Police have the ability to solve mysterious cases and arrest the most dangerous criminals,” Maj Gen Al Merri said in a statement.
Major-General Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Criminal Investigation Affairs, said the information exchanged with the Australian authorities was analysed at Dubai Police’s data centre with the two suspects identified as staying in Dubai.
“A team of officers arrested the two based on the red warrant for smuggling drugs and trafficking of controlled substances. They were referred to the concerned authority for extradition,” Maj Gen Al Mansouri said.
Escape plan foiled
The two suspects were planning to leave the UAE but their plan was foiled by Dubai Police.
The developments follow an extensive seven-year investigation which began in December 2013, when detectives from the Australian authority established Strike Force Millstream to investigate the large-scale supply of prohibited drugs, mainly MDMA and methylamphetamine.
According to Australian media, during the course of the investigation, detectives uncovered a significant transnational drug importation and money laundering operation as well as other organised criminal activity.
Reece Kershaw, Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police (AFP), lauded the cooperation of the Dubai Police in tracking and arresting the two suspects.
“The Australian Federal Police, together with the New South Wales Police Force, would like to thank Dubai Police for their tireless work in investigating and apprehending these wanted criminals,” said Kershaw.
He added that the latest arrest of the Australian suspects in Dubai is a result of the longestablished partnership between the two police agencies.
“The AFP and Dubai Police have been trusted law enforcement partners for many years,” he added. We greatly value the leadership and commitment that Dubai Police demonstrates in the global fight against organised crime.”
Commissioner Kershaw stressed that the AFP and Dubai Police maintain active channels of communication to discuss new ways of policing and to jointly combat transnational organised crime groups impacting Australia and the UAE.
“The AFP and the Dubai Police are staying shoulderto-shoulder, and are unified in their approach to combating these transnational crime syndicates operating in Australia and the UAE. We will continue to work closely together to dismantle these syndicates and bring offenders to justice,” he added.
The Australian Federal Police, together with the New South Wales Police Force, would like to thank Dubai Police for their tireless work.”
Reece Kershaw | Commissioner, Australian Federal Police