Qantas baggage handlers charged with attempting to smuggle cocaine
Five men, including two Qantas baggage handlers, have been arrested over an alleged plot to import 100kg of cocaine into Sydney International Airport. Five men have been charged with attempting to smuggle 100kg of cocaine worth $40million into Sydney Airport on Saturday. The arrests were part of a major sting into an alleged drug syndicate using insiders in the airport. The drugs were allegedly hidden in a container in the cargo hold of the passenger plane and were allegedly facilitated by Ahmed Haouchar, the brother of feared gangster Bilal Haouchars. The AFP executed four search warrants at houses in Coogee, Mascot and Hillsdale after the arrests, seizing a small quantity of drugs and a number of electronic devices. The operation is part of an AFP commitment to targeting and disrupting organised crime syndicates undermining Australia's security.
Veröffentlicht : vor 2 Jahren durch Antoinette Milienos in Travel
Two Qantas baggage handlers and three other men have been charged for allegedly trying to import 100kg of cocaine worth $40million into Sydney Airport.
The Australian Federal Police arrested five men on Saturday as part of a major sting into an alleged drug syndicate using insiders in Sydney International Airport.
Baggage handlers Dareen Steven Bragg, 61, and Michael James McPherson, 55, were arrested on the tarmac at the airport just minutes after allegedly unloading the drugs from Qantas Flight 64 from Johannesburg, South Africa.
Bragg and McPherson, who worked for Jets Transport Express - a contractor of Qantas - were allegedly told 100kg of cocaine would be in four blue and one orange bag.
The drugs, which have a street value of $40million, were allegedly hidden in a container in the cargo hold of the passenger plane.
The import was allegedly facilitated by Ahmed Haouchar - the brother of feared gangster Bilal Haouchar, according to court documents.
The arrests mark the end of a year-long investigation into an international drug operation.
For 12 months, the AFP watched the drug syndicate allegedly use flight QF64 as a highway to import illegal substances from South Africa and into Australia.
The investigation, codenamed 'Operation Lucian', began in October 2022 following a report from an airline of suspicious activity that occurred near the cargo area of a Sydney-bound flight in Johannesburg.
A month later, investigators intercepted a text exchange between Bragg and McPherson in which they spoke about meeting 62-year-old David Peter Cain.
Cain was allegedly instrumental in coordinating with Bragg and McPherson to move the cocaine off the tarmac and to an associate of the drug syndicate leader.
On Saturday, Bragg went to work at Sydney International Airport and waited for the ground crew to unload bags from the 3.08pm QF64 flight.
Once the bags were unloaded, Bragg and McPherson allegedly located the drugs on pallet 91394 and towed it towards Gate 6.
The pair then loaded the five bags - each carrying 20kg of cocaine - into a white van outside the freight terminal, which 24-year-old Sydney man Ziad El-Mustapha was allegedly driving.
The 24-year-old allegedly used Signal - an encrypted messaging app - to contact an unknown person known as 'Batman'.
Police swooped in on the trio as they were about to drive away and allegedly found a handwritten note containing the number '91394' in Bragg's pocket.
After taking Bragg, McPherson and El-Mustapha into custody, AFP detectives set out to arrest Cain and Haouchar, according to court documents.
Detectives used Bragg's mobile phone to send Cain two text messages at 5.12pm.
'Driver not at the fence when I came back. I've got the bags at mine. What should (I) do?' the first message said.
'Mate freaking out,' the second read.
Cain allegedly tried to call his 'best mate' before driving to Bragg's apartment block in Coogee where he was arrested by Operation Lucian officers.
The AFP executed four search warrants at houses in Coogee, Mascot and Hillsdale after the arrests on Saturday, seizing a small quantity of drugs and a number of electronic devices.
AFP Detective Superintendent Kristie Cressy said the AFP is committed to targeting and disrupting organised crime syndicates undermining Australia's security.
'Transnational serious organised crime groups actively try to corrupt people working at our airports because their access to airside operations is an active and efficient way to facilitate the importation of illicit drugs,' Superintendent Cressy said.
'The AFP and its partners – including airport operators, airlines and service providers – treat such matters as a priority because of the damage that can be caused to our communities and businesses.'
Superintendent Cressy added as the job's alleged 'facilitator', Haouchar had allegedly liaised with international organised crime figures.
'People with trusted access in an airport precinct are critical to the successful operation of Australia's tourism and trade sectors, but the AFP will not hesitate to investigate and prosecute those who abuse this trust by assisting and profiting from organised crime,' Superintendent Cressy said.
'We will allege the organiser of this importation was well-organised and well-resourced, while the men working with trusted insiders had the potential to assist numerous criminal endeavours if they were allowed to continue unchecked.'
Bragg, McPherson and El-Mustapha were charged with importing a commercial quantity of cocaine and also possessing a commercial quantity of cocaine.
Police charged Cain with conspiring to import a commercial quantity of cocaine.
Haouchar was arrested at Rushcutter’s Bay later on Saturday evening and charged with possessing a commercial quantity of cocaine.
All five men appeared at Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday, making no applications for bail.
It's believed Haouchar's lawyer will make an application for bail on Monday at the Downing Centre Local Court.
Bragg, McPherson, El-Mustapha and Cain will face court again on November 30.
Themen: Cocaine, Drug Trafficking