Why? 'I can't comment on what's happening overseas at the moment, but I think I could probably assure everyone that the AFP and its partners are definitely exploiting the Ironside information, and the networks that we've identified, and we're actively targeting some of these Comanchero members offshore,' Superintendent McArthur said. More than 3,000 pounds of methamphetamine and 66 kilograms of cocaine were found in a massive drug bust in Norco last month, making it the largest seizure of meth for the DEA's Los Angeles Division. Police are gearing up to arrest a 'significant number' of people in the coming months. Organised crime evolving 'rapidly' in NZ as borders become 'porous' to illicit trade - NZ Heral Gangs and guns: Police unveil operation targeting firearms and organised crime - NZ Herald. This . "It must have been then," the now-49-year-old said. Bi was released on $400,000 bail to reappear on March 26. Personal trainer, 22, describes what working in the fitness industry is like when you're curvy - and why Jon Jones vs Ciryl Gane - UFC 285 LIVE: Follow all the action from main card ahead of HUGE heavyweight PETER HITCHENS: Now we know for sure that our leaders lost their heads over Covid. 'I expect a significant number of alleged criminals to be arrested over the coming months,' Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw recently told a Senate estimates hearing. The group is accused of transporting drugs into Queensland via heavy vehicles for distribution across the states southeast and central region. More charges are expected to be laid as Australian Federal Police work their way through the 25 million messages intercepted by the encrypted app. Three years ago, Australia Federal Policeidentified Ayik as a key influencer to successfully distribute the encrypted AN0M devices due to his high status in the criminal underworld. 'There will be people out there who think they're okay, because they weren't on the AN0M platform. Get the news you want delivered straight to your inbox so you never miss a headline. The asset recovery unit also restrained three properties, worth a total of $5.7m, meaning they cannot be sold. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. (NSW Police) NSW Police arrested suspects related to drug offences as part of Operation Ironside. However, in 2010, as the Australian branch of the syndicate started to unravel, Ayik fled the country. Some 21 execution plots were foiled and drug and gun smuggling networks dismantled. "Ah, we have an issue here," Detective Morrish said as he peeked inside the bag. The 33-year-old was charged last week following a raid at a Kangaroo Point home, where police allegedly seized 154g of meth. Operation Tango Citron uncovered a major drug network operating across the citys bayside region distributing cocaine, methamphetamines, MDMA and cannabis, according to Queensland Police Service. Video / Mike Scott. Coster said he was proud of his police staff for the work they do to keep communities safe. When will the Beast from the East be at YOUR door? 22:54 EST 13 Nov 2021 Ayik, subbed one of the world's most prolific drug-smuggling masterminds, was later detained in Cyprus but then escaped and fled to Turkey, where he has created a new life. Breaking news, sport, business and more. Police are making good progress dismantling his alleged empire of organised crime. Of the 303 arrests across Australia so far, 99 were former alleged bikies and associates. But after Anthony 'You'll be missed forever': Elizabeth Hurley and son Damian share heartfelt tribute to her late ex Shane Mamma Mia! Gang expert - Canterbury University criminal justice director Jared Gilbert - said many organised criminals would be looking over their shoulders following the major police bust. "Turn the engine off and get out of the aircraft.". At least 35 people were arrested who appeared yesterday in Auckland and Hamilton district courts facing nearly 1000 separate drug dealing and money laundering charges. His good name goes behind it, he gets some fees, there's a cut from the selling of the handsets.'. New Zealand's previous largest drug bust was in 2016, when 501kg of methamphetamine was seized in Northland, including 449kg. Senior investigators describe Ayik as the 'principal distributor of the AN0M handset.' Nine other men conjointly charged with trafficking include: Police are hunting for the vehicle involved in a hit and run incident that left an 18-year-old in a critical condition. Drug kingpin and Comancheros bikie associate Hakan Ayik has spent the last decade on the run from Australian . The twin-engine plane, which miraculously survived a cyclone in Darwin in 1974, had been used to operate a freight charter service in Central Queensland and sight-seeing tours over the Great Barrier Reef until 1990. READ MORE: * Duo jailed after Customs' largest-ever seizure of methamphetamine * Ninety Mile beach meth bust: Police ID kingpins behind massive drug haul * Ninety Mile Beach meth importing trial: Guilty verdicts for both accused. Encrypted platforms were designed to prevent law enforcement agencies from monitoring such criminal activities. But its best feature - and for most of its users, the worst - wasn't promoted in its marketing material. Weve got a newsletter for everyone. If Stuff is a regular part of your day, please consider becoming a supporter. He is due to appear in Cleveland Magistrates Court on January 20. But the way journalism is funded is changing and we need your help to sustain local newsrooms. He invested his proceeds of crime in hotel and resort developments while living a lavish lifestyle that extended to flashy cars and private yachts. Wednesdays search warrants marked the second termination phase of Operation Cincinnati, which saw 26 people arrested and kilos of drugs, multiple firearms and more than $10 million in assets seized in October. www.heraldsun.cohttps://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/how-operation-ironsides-an0m-sting-put-a-hole-in-bikie-gangs/news-story/02b33f401ffff4ec7c87546646fcc5c9. Mr Kershaw said detectives have arrested thealleged 'King makers' behind the alleged crimes, prevented mass shootings insuburbs and 'frustrated serious and organised crime by seizing theirill-gotten wealth'. How Boris Johnson's Partygate tormentor Sue Gray is now enmeshed in her own row - as it is DAN HODGES: This grubby Sue Gray recruitment annihilates all pretence that Sir Keir Starmer is a man of Matt Hancock discussed 'deploying' new virus variant to 'frighten the pants off everyone' as former Health 'So many dead. Pictured: ammunition seized by police, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the AFP operation, known as Operation Ironside, had struck a 'heavy blow' against criminals, Hakan Ayik (pictured) gave police extensive access to the world's criminal underworld throughencrypted communications app AN0M. He was denied bail and will reappear in court next week. Another nine were allegedly linked to the Rebels, eight to the Lone Wolf gang, and a handful linked to the Mongols, Finks, and Bandidos, News Corp reported. 20,000 ecstasy pills and Ferrari seized in major police bust in Auckland, 58-year-old man dies at start of mountain bike race, Person who died after incident in Auckland's Beach Haven named, What the alcohol industry doesn't want you to know, Christopher Luxon promises childcare rebates for any family earning less than $180,000, Teen boys charged with murder over killing of driver in Auckland, Homeowner says banks offering 4.99% under the table is a 'market failure', The Jugglenaut: How childcare became a for-profit game, Disappointment and tequila: How sporting power couple Dion Nash and Bernice Mene met, Wallabies star's NZ$1.6m World Cup gamble after bar brawl shuts down Japanese club, Quiz: Morning trivia challenge: March 5, 2023. Senior bikies and mafia figures were tricked into buying hi-tech phones that would supposedly let them messages one another, free of police snooping. 'Sadly, criminal gangs are targetingAustralia because it is one of themost profitable countries in theworld to sell drugs, and for threeyears, this operation has been overt.'. The near year-long operation came to a climax on Sunday and Monday when detectives swarmed on multiple properties across Broadbeach Waters, Gaven, Tamborine, Rochdale, Steiglitz, Cleveland, Holland Park, Capalaba, Caboolture, Mount Nathan and Rockhampton. The country's Federal Police released pictures of the wealth, firepower and even taste in gangster movies of those arrested during sweeping raids across the country, the U.S., Britain andwider Europe after the alleged criminals were covertly monitored for three years using an encrypted communication app called 'AN0M'. According to Santos, he was preparing his plane for take-off at Bankstown Airport in the early hours of March 4, 2008, when a car pulled up outside the airfield and a young man dressed in a white shirt and black pants, walked up to shake his hand. 'These criminal influencers put the AFP in the back pocket of hundreds of alleged offenders,' Mr Kershaw said. In Australia, 224 people were arrested including members of outlaw motorcycle gangs, mafia groups, Asian crime syndicates, and serious and organised crime groups. Faulkhead was arrested with five other men in January 2014 after large-scale drug raids in the Mildura region. The Comancheros are participants in the United Motorcycle Council of NSW, which convened a conference in 2009 to address legislation aimed against the "bikie" clubs, their poor public image in the wake of several violent clashes and ongoing biker wars, and defusing deadly feuds such as the Comancheros' battles with the Hells Angels. An Interpol red notice has also been for Ayik's arrest, who remains on the run from authorities. You can make a contribution from as little as $1. But after the deal fell through, Mr Pavlinovic, who buys and sells everything from jet engines to power tools, dismantled the plane to sell it for parts to the highest bidder. who didn't just distribute the devices among associates but also profited from the sales. An officer who identified himself as Detective Roy Morrish was standing at the forefront of the unit, motioning officers to unzip the large sports bag Micalizzi had loaded onto the cargo hold 15 hours prior. A 46-year-old Bracken Ridge man charged with 12 offences including two counts of trafficking in dangerous drugs - serious organised crime, four counts of possessing dangerous drugs, two counts of possessing property used in the commission of a crime, and once count of possessing property obtained from trafficking. China increases military spending in face of escalating threats. Just after 3am, with Micalizzi's bag safety stowed in the cargo hold, the pair took off in the Aztec, leaving Bankstown's runway behind en route to Whyalla, the first refuelling stop on the 15-hour journey to Jandakot. From Whyalla they travelled to Forrest, a popular refuelling stop more than 1100km east of Perth, near the South Australian border. Get exclusive discounts on movie tickets, dining and popular attractions. , started in 2018 with a fake encrypted communication app developed in partnership with the FBI. We want to reduce the harm these gangs are causing in our communities, he said. He has since been spotted in Cyprus, Spain and Dubai, with Australian authorities suspecting he is the mastermind behind a massive drug lab in India capable of exporting tonnes of methamphetamine around the world. Some 224 people have been arrested, $44,934,457 in cash seized, as well as 104 weapons, 3.7 tonnes of drugs and multi-million dollar assets. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. Supt Migro said the investigation was ongoing. Kong, who was also allegedly in possession of $2,030 cash and a revolver, was granted bail and will appear in court on June 28. Dozens of people have been arrested after a police massive operation targeting alleged drug supply by outlaw bikie gangs. A 33-year-old man from the Comanchero bikie gang was identified by police as the alleged principal offender who engaged in the trafficking and supply of drugs along with other associates. A police investigation would later reveal Micalizzi was a drug runner for the Comancheros, a middleman in an international drug syndicate led by Turkish-Australian gym junkie Hakan Ayik. Kiwi police working closely alongside international law enforcement agencies and spy networks revealed yesterday they have been secretly intercepting criminals' private communications on an encrypted digital platform built by the FBI. Police have charged 224 alleged offenders with 525 charges, shut down six clandestine laboratories and acted on 21 threats to kill, including saving a family of five. SEE THE MAP Brayden Heslehurst and Marcel Baum LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) Dozens of people were arrested, and more than 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine and nearly $16 million was seized in the Southern California area amid a nationwide operation . He is Australia's most wanted man after fleeing Sydney for Turkey more than a decade ago when he was linked to a $230 million heroin importation syndicate. Insane Throttle Support Club Become a memberNow, Insane Throttle/Motorcycle Madhouse Radio YouTube and AudioDisclaimer, Meet the Insane Throttle Contributing Columnist James Hollywood Macecari, Motorcycle Clubs Riding Clubs and Associations Near Me Index &Listings, Our Policies here at Insane Throttle Publications. We appreciate the assistance provided by Customs in this operation, particularly with the exceptional profiling of shipments from high-risk countries which end up resulting in these large interceptions. Police said the raids targeted a group believed to be involved in the importation, distribution and manufacture of methamphetamine and MDMA. Senior members of the Comancheros in Waikato, Waikato Mongrel Mob and the Head Hunters were among those arrested. Were working to restore it. As the plane finally stopped on the apron, the Lycoming O-540 engines idling away, he heard a knock on the door. The arrests were made after 24 properties were searched on Wednesday 21 throughout the wider Auckland area, and three in Christchurch. 'That's what we're doing. The app gained currency in the underworld after being promoted by drug kingpins such as Australia's most wanted man,Hakan Ayik, after first being distributed by police informants. It was the biggest drug bust in WA history and a day law enforcement officers . Mr Morrison said the AFP's covert mission was 'seeking to frustrate [the alleged criminals] in every link of the chain'. Sitting at Acacia Prisons crowded visitor room, he says it all began with a phone call from a client looking for a plane ride from Bankstown, in Sydneys south-west, to Jandakot. Police have charged 224 alleged offenders with 525 charges, shut down six clandestine laboratories and acted on 21 threats to kill, Pictured: one man accused of participating in the syndicate sits on his bed after being raided by AFP officers, A luxury Audi sedan seized by the AFP as part of their joint investigation with the U.S. FBI, The bust exposed new details about how one of Australia's most wanted fugitives gave police extensive access to the world's criminal underworld. Kylie Stevens For Daily Mail Australia, From Nivea moisturiser to two-minute noodles and of course, an Adidas shirt: Inside the 'getaway' bag of accused cocaine kingpin dramatically arrested as he attempted to flee Australia, How an undercover operative nicknamed 'Antman' infiltrated Mostafa Baluch's alleged drug syndicate to destroy a $270million coke deal and replace 900kg in powder with a sham load. 7NEWS can reveal the bust is linked to exiled bikie Mark Buddle of the Comancheros.Police are making good progress dismantling his alleged empire of organise. National Organised Crime Group director detective superintendent Greg Williams described Operation Trojan Shield as one of the most sophisticated law enforcement operations ever undertaken "in the global fight against organised crime". He had established his own flying company, Santos Aviation, in 2006 and bought his American-made Aztec a year later with a generous cash donation from a family friend. Ayik, then in his early 30s, had made a fortune by forging alliances with Chinese triads, Indian chemical suppliers, the Comancheros outlaw motorcycle gang and known underworld figures to create a multi-billion dollar international drug syndicate spanning across continents. He is due to appear in Cleveland Magistrates Court on January 20. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Highs-powered rifles were among the weapons seized. 'We allege they aremembers of outlaw motorcycle gangs,Australian Mafia, Asian crimesyndicates and serious and organisedcrime groups,' he told reporters on Tuesday. Comancheros gang boss Pasilika Naufahu jailed for money laundering, conspiring to supply drugs Updated 19/02/2021 Jamie Ensor Zac Fleming Comancheros boss Pasilika Naufahu has been sentenced. Desperate drivers are taking to social media to buy and sell demerit points, risking eye-wateringly expensive fines in the process. Police searched 21 properties across Auckland and three in Christchurch. Buddle was last known to be in Iraq and Ayik is believed to be still living in Turkey and is hiding from underworld figures after he was outed as one of the 'influencers' who unwittingly spread the AN0M encrypted device. Get the news you want delivered to your inbox. Police and Customs managed to intercept more than 600kg of methamphetamine at Auckland Airport. This is a high-value criminal sponsoring a criminal communications system,' Australian Federal Police Superintendent Jared Taggart told News Corp papers. The #1 Biker News Website Since 2011-Covering up to minute biker news including Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs & Biker News Worldwide. He is due to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on December 12. He had done the trip a handful of times before. By
A number of luxury cars were seized by police in October, including a 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista worth more than $630,000. Duo jailed after Customs' largest-ever seizure of methamphetamine, Ninety Mile beach meth bust: Police ID kingpins behind massive drug haul, Ninety Mile Beach meth importing trial: Guilty verdicts for both accused, 58-year-old man dies at start of mountain bike race, Person who died after incident in Auckland's Beach Haven named, What the alcohol industry doesn't want you to know, Christopher Luxon promises childcare rebates for any family earning less than $180,000, Teen boys charged with murder over killing of driver in Auckland, Homeowner says banks offering 4.99% under the table is a 'market failure', The Jugglenaut: How childcare became a for-profit game, Disappointment and tequila: How sporting power couple Dion Nash and Bernice Mene met, Wallabies star's NZ$1.6m World Cup gamble after bar brawl shuts down Japanese club, Quiz: Morning trivia challenge: March 5, 2023. That may have been an in-joke - as all the supposedly self-destructing messages sent on the app was radically open to the Australian Federal Police to read. Police seized huge cash and drug stashes, and alleged bikies now owe other dangerous crime figures significant amounts of money. Acting Detective Inspector John Brunton outlines a major police operation targeting MDMA distribution (Video first published on October 29, 2020). The AFP is also likely to seek extradition requests of a number of persons of interest living overseas. New Zealand authorities have also arrested 35 people for alleged drug dealing and money laundering, seizing some $NZ3.7 million ($A3.4 million) in assets. Pilots wondered why it sat there, rusting, and told tall stories about where it came from. In 2008, police busted $8 million worth of drugs in a light plane flying to Jandakot Airport from NSW, kick-starting the largest police operation in history. The Australian Federal Police announced on Tuesday that it had seized 3.7 tonnes of drugs, 104 weapons and almost $45million in cash as part of the operation - which was three years in the making. "Joseph Micalizzi," he said, a large sports bag hanging from his shoulder. Other eastern states-based bikie gangs the Finks and Rock Machine (formerly the Nomads) have established themselves in WA in the past 18 months.