The biggest alleged cocaine gang in Sydney has been shut down following mass raids after the group allegedly sold a staggering $1.8billion of cocaine in just four months.
Police arrested six men who are allegedly part of an extensive organised crime network dubbed ‘The Commission’ in sweeping raids early on Wednesday morning.
The men are allegedly the backbone of the drug cartel and allegedly controlled the price and distribution of cocaine in Sydney.
The police operation began in July when a 21-year-old man from Guilford, in Sydney’s west, was found with a kilogram of cocaine and an additional 12kg in a nearby car.
He was charged with two counts of supply prohibited drug large commercial quantity, knowingly deal with proceeds of crime and participate criminal group contribute criminal activity.
The drugs involved had a street value of more than $20 million.
The arrest set investigators on the trail of a group allegedly involved in the large-scale supply of cocaine in the NSW capital.
NSW police, along with investigators from the Crime Commission and the n Criminal Intelligence Commission, established Strikeforce Barograph to investigate the syndicate’s alleged large-scale supply of cocaine.
The syndicate allegedly supplied more than 1.2 tonnes of cocaine to NSW between February and July, this year – an estimated street value in excess of $1.8 billion.
Strike force detectives executed 20 search warrants at homes across Sydney at about 6am on Wednesday.
Jibreel Bakir, 25, and his brother Laith Bakir, 26, along with Duy Nguyen, 34, Akrom Hamzy, 27, Houssam Khoder-Agha, 27, and Khalid Mohamed, 33, were arrested.
The six men were all charged with numerous offences related to their alleged roles in The Commission.
During the searches, police located and seized 20kg of cocaine – that was allegedly found in a bag that was thrown over a fence -, ten cars, $800,000 in cash, a Rolex watch, four firearms, two ballistic vests and multiple electronic devices.
The cars were taken to Bass Hill Police Station where officers allegedly located over 12kg of cocaine stored in hidden compartments in the vehicles known as ‘hides’.
The combined street value of the cocaine located is in excess of $55 million.
‘Police today have uprooted allegedly one of the most dangerous and destructive groups Sydney has seen to date,’ NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said.
‘I am confident that today’s arrests will make the community safer and make this dangerous drug harder to find.’
Police will allege in court that the group supplied more than $1.8 billion worth of cocaine in Sydney over a four months and that they deliberately controlled the supply to increase their profits.
It will further be alleged that the group used a sophisticated system of hidden compartments in their vehicles to transport and hide the cocaine.
Commander of Organised Crime Squad Detective Superintendent Peter Faux said the organised crime underworld would feel the consequences of the arrests.
‘We have just taken out the group that has allegedly played the role of government, bank and economy to Sydney’s criminal underworld,’ Det Supt Faux said.
‘These arrests today will result in many criminals becoming unemployed as the large-scale drug supply that finances their crimes dries up.’
Det Sup Faux also warned other criminal groups against filling the grab left by the arrests.
‘For those criminal groups who intend to fill this hole left by yesterday’s arrests, know that we are waiting for you,’ Det Supt Faux said.
‘[We] are fully prepared to prosecute you for any crimes you commit that endanger the public of NSW.’
Jibreel Bakir faced court on Wednesday and was charged with 13 offences including dealing with the proceeds of crime and supplying a large commercial of a prohibited drug.
Bakir did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody. He is scheduled to face court again on November 13.