“It is going to be alleged he liaised with somebody in South Africa – or with connections within the nation – to supply 100 kilograms of cocaine and have it positioned on an plane,” an AFP spokesman stated on Tuesday.
“It is going to be alleged this man was additionally chargeable for its onward distribution in Australia.”
The cocaine allegedly seized from Sydney Airport in October.Credit score: AFP
Final Sunday, Ahmed would have obtained information whereas in jail on remand that his brother Nedal was arrested making an attempt to board a flight on the similar airport.
Police allege Nedal was additionally shifting round Sydney bricks of cocaine valued at tens of millions of {dollars} in an unrelated drug import.
The 37-year-old was charged with two counts of supplying a big industrial amount of a prohibited drug, being 10 kilograms and two kilograms of cocaine, one rely of supplying a industrial amount of a prohibited drug, 5 counts of coping with the suspected proceeds of crime, collectively price tens of millions of {dollars}, and one rely of knowingly directing actions of a prison group.
Over the next days, lots of of officers from NSW Police’s Strike Drive Tromperie rounded up 24 folks allegedly linked to the “billion-dollar syndicate”.
Then probably the most notorious member of the Haouchar brood, Bilal, was reportedly detained in Lebanon over his alleged commanding function within the syndicate.
Bilal was final seen in Australia boarding a business-class flight to Beirut in September 2018.
The Lebanese authorities have but to verify if Bilal has been arrested or can be transferred again to Australia, however NSW Police stated it was the top of Australia’s single-largest crime crew.
Then, on Tuesday, the AFP introduced Operation Lucian had handed intelligence to the South African Police Service to chase down their finish of the $40 million drug bust related with Ahmed Haouchar.
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South African police raided 5 places throughout Gauteng province, arresting 5 males who allegedly had entry to Tambo Worldwide Airport in Johannesburg via their employment with plane logistics suppliers.
AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Dametto stated the latest high-profile arrests in Turkey and data sharing in South Africa would “cripple the power of organised crime” to function in Australia.
The 5 males arrested in South Africa stay earlier than the courts.
“The flushing out of airport workers which might be key enablers has dealt a extreme blow to organised crime,” South Africa’s Main-Basic Ebrahim Kadwa stated in relation to the 5 people arrested in South Africa.
Ahmed Haouchar was unavailable to touch upon the arrests.
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