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10 months ago
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Raids have led to the arrest of 28 people and seen more than a dozen firearms seized after cops busted one of the biggest ever underground criminal groups in Australia.
The blitz involved over 450 NSW Police officers executing 37 warrants across Sydney's west and south on Tuesday, leading to the arrests of people linked to a Lebanese crime syndicate.
The underworld gang is alleged to be responsible for numerous money-laundering offences and the movement of over $1billion in drugs, guns and tobacco.
The raids also resulted in the seizure of two tonnes of drugs, 25 firearms, 60 encrypted devices, designer jewellery, high-end vehicles and large amounts of cash.
With the help of Lebanese officials, police were also able to secure the arrest of one of Australia's most wanted men, Bilal Haouchar, 37, and four of his associates overnight in Beirut.
NSW Police have carried out a series of massive raids across Sydney targeting a crime syndicate hailing from Lebanon linked to over $1billlion in drugs, guns and cash (stock image)
The Australian Federal Police are yet to receive confirmation from Lebanese officials of Haouchar's arrest.
It is unsure if Haouchar will be brought back to Australia as the two countries do not have an extradition treaty.
Deputy Commissioner of NSW Police, David Hudson, praised the efforts of police to produce arrests in countries that criminals once fled to.
'There used to be a time in our state's history when individuals who were wanted by us for particularly criminality left our shores thinking they were going to a safe haven,' Deputy Commissioner Hudson told reporters.
'There are no safe havens left.'
Haouchar had been on the run in Lebanon after fleeing Australia in 2018 when he was placed on a two-year correction order for pleading guilty to being involved in a fatal shooting.
The first man arrested in the sweeping blitz was Haouchar's brother Nedal, 40, who was stopped at Sydney International Airport on Sunday as he was about to leave the country.
He appeared in Downing Centre Local Court on Monday facing nine charges including the supply of a commercial quantity of drugs, directing the activities of a criminal group and five counts of deal with property proceeds of crime in excess of $4.4million.
Deputy Commissioner of NSW Police David Hudson (pictured) indicated the raids had resulted in the syndicate being 'significantly disrupted if not eliminated'
The raids resulted in the arrests of 24 people as well as the detainment of one of Australia's most wanted men, Bilal Haouchar (pictured), and four of his associates in Beirut
The 28 arrests of people aged between 23 and 46 years old now face a total of 69 'significant' charges ranging from driving offences to the distribution of large amounts of prohibited drugs.
All but three of those arrested have faced courts across Sydney and were refused bail.
While speaking to the media on Wednesday, Assistant Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald said the syndicate had 'plagued Sydney for the past decade' while having 'tentacles throughout... New South Wales'.
While celebrating the hard work from police, Assistant Commissioner Fitzgerald claimed the syndicate had been 'dismantled'.
'They will no longer be a problem for New South Wales,' he said.
The head of the investigation, Detective Superintendent Peter Faux, said 'every resource of the NSW Police Force' had been used during reconnaissance.
These included 'covert operations' into the gang and police blockchain specialists to trace over $1.5billion worth of cryptocurrency transactions made by the gang.
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