GLOBAL DRUG STING
SYDNEY’S royal family of Kings Cross are in tatters after a global police operation left three of the Ibrahim clan behind bars last night awaiting bail hearings.
Brothers Michael and Fadi Ibrahim were arrested by antinarcotics police in Dubai while in Sydney, police arrested their nephew, ex-soldier Daniel Ibrahim, and tore apart the luxury home of Daniel’s infamous club-owner father, John Ibrahim, as part of the operation against organised crime and drug smuggling.
Among the 17 arrested across Sydney, Dubai and the Netherlands were:
A cousin of the Ibrahims, Sleiman Tajjour, the former president of the Nomads bikie gang, who was also charged;
Mustapha Dib and Steven Elmir, two men known to Sydney police as alleged crime kingpins, and;
John Ibrahim’s girlfriend, model and bar owner, Sarah Budge, was 27, was charged at Double Bay with illegally possessing a Glock pistol.
The former Kings Cross nightclub boss known as “Teflon John”, was not arrested.
The co-ordinated raids followed the massive seizure in the Netherlands last month of 1.8 tonnes of ecstasy, 136kg of cocaine and 15kg of crystal methamphetamine heading for Australia with a street value of up to $810 million.
The container without the drugs arrived in Australia this week, sparking the raids.
Australian Federal Police assistant commissioner Neil Gaughan said: “The people we allege are part of this syndicate that are well-known to law enforcement, and for decades this group has flaunted their wealth and activities, telling the community they were untouchable.
“Today, it should be obvious that they are not.”
During a frank press conference, Mr Gaughan said it was an “outstanding success” that so many members of the Ibrahim family had been arrested and heralded it as a “great day for law enforcement”.
The arrests follow a 12month investigation known as Operation Veyda, which Mr Gaughan alleged had destroyed two crime syndicates operating across Australia, Dubai and the Netherlands. Dubai police, with the assistance of the AFP, also arrested Mr Dib and Mr Elmir.
As extradition proceedings Sources ABC, 2GB Radio, Fairfax, News Corp are expected to begin in Dubai, late yesterday the first two of the men charged to appear in court in Sydney were refused bail. Ahmad “Rock” Ahmad, 41, and Jehad Jodeh, 29, were charged with importing a commercial quality of drugs. They were remanded in custody to November 1.
Daniel Ibrahim is expected to apply for bail today.