Mohammed Charif Oueida caught up in huge drug bust as WA police seize 33kg of methamphetamine at border, Keep up with the latest ASX and business news. The operation, which has been ongoing since November 2022, led to the arrest of 12 individuals. The covert operation was a joint effort between the WA police forces transnational serious and organised crime squad, officers from other states and the enforcement administration. Police charged a 39-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman who were allegedly connected to the syndicate, according to ABC. The Aztec at a hangar at Jandakot Airpot. Australia's largest ever crime sting shows messages drug lords sent Officers searched the delivery and discovered a 'crystal-like substance' stuffed inside the pillows. Western Australia drugs bust: Police arrest 12, seize $1 billion worth As Bankstown pilot Jamieson Santos was preparing to land his twin-engined 1970s Piper Aztec at a busy airport on the outskirts of Perth a dozen grim-faced police officers were waiting on the hot tarmac. Santos is eight years into a 15-year sentence and will tell anyone who listens he is innocent. Up to 15 years in a prison cell is a long way removed from the easy money they have been chasing, while police will have absolutely no hesitation seizing every dollar, piece of property, or vehicle that has been gained by profiting off the addiction of others.. A total of 2.4 tonnes of cocaine was stopped from entering our shores and 12 people were arrested in the largest bust in Australian history. But during his trial in the WA District Court, Judge Christopher Stevenson said the duo had played a "dangerous game of Russian Roulette" trying to incriminate each other, "the last refuge of a desperate man to avoid any criminal liability". The alleged ringleader, known as "The Kid", is one of six organised crime bosses being targeted by WA Police. The latest real-time news updates and headlines on drug. Three men returned to the house the following evening and entered the shipping container to access the boxes. The drugs had a street value of around 562.9m ($1bn Australian dollars), and were equivalent to half of Australia's estimated annual consumption, according to police. The pair appeared in court on Monday charged with possession of a trafficable quantity of methylamphetamine with intent to sell and supply and they have been remanded in custody until their next appearance on May 10. Get the news you want delivered to your inbox. The vision shows police running towards the boat and three individuals emerging from the vessel before lying on the sandy beach. By The pills seized, which weighed 25kg,are yet to be tested. 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. Blanch said this was an extraordinary job by the people involved but said it was not over. What's Happening - Police Scotland Trusted enough to keep an eye on Santos and ensure the safe delivery of the drugs, Judge Stevenson would describe Micalizzi's role as "likely to have not only included some financial reward but some relationship-building with those he was associated with". Sooner or later, they will receive a knock on the door from police and at this point, the realisation quickly dawns that they have made a decision that has ruined their life. Who is Vanessa Hudson? Biggest drug bust in Australian history: Cocaine worth $1 billion , updated Six Perth County residents charged as part of massive drug bust in Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. News. In this section you can find the very latest news about our police operations, arrests and appeals for information. The force said on Tuesday 52 charges were laid as part of the operation, and six guns and 3000 rounds of ammunition seized. Arrests being made at Hillarys Boat Harbour.Credit: Police Media, Theres some good crooks in the mix and thats what we want.. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Here's what you need to know, 'Bassam is going to call': Brothers 4 Life leader allegedly used lawyer as go-between in drug ring, Alleged gunman accused of holding up Nick Kyrgios's mother and stealing his Tesla refused bail. The consignment was loaded onto the ship in Asia, however investigations will continue into the source of the drugs. Perth Catholic college teacher charged with indecently recording four Two men have faced court after a traffic stop led to a large drug bust in Perth's north-east. He said the estimated cost of the drugs entering the West Australian community would have been $22.65 million through crime, increased healthcare and justice costs, and loss of productivity. They had taken 15 vacuum-sealed bags filled with 30,000 MDMA tablets and more than 20 plastic bags containing almost 22 kilograms of methylamphetamine off the streets and, although they did not know it at the time, they had kick-started one of the largest law enforcement operations in Australian history. One - struggling to navigate the West Australian waters - beaching 70 kilometres north of Perth. Eight of the men were from NSW, one from the US, one from NT, one of no fixed address and a 29-year-old man from Champion Lakes, WA. Joint media releases | Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission - ACIC WA Police target drug dealers using encrypted messaging apps The four charged are expected to face Perth Magistrate's Court again this afternoon (21 May 2021). Six more men were then arrested at a popular family boat harbour in Perth. A handcuffed Santos assists police searching the plane at Jandakot Airport. Are you a deadset writing legend? A Perth DJ and self-proclaimed upcoming producer is among five people facing serious charges after detectives seized more than 12kg of drugs in Perths north-eastern suburbs. 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. Three men - aged 31, 32 and 35 - have been charged with importing the drugs and faced Perth Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Being a playboy: Musicians shock take on WOMANISING, Terri Irwin UNRECOGNISABLE in stunning new look. It wasnt an unusual occurrence. We then arrested two further individuals with over $2 million in cash in their vehicle., Arrests being made by WA Police as part of a $1 billion cocaine interception.Credit: Police Media. Longhorn said the operation was an opportunity to catch those responsible for drug importation at a higher level. Pic: Western Australia Police, Money seized from a vehicle on the Great Eastern highway. WA police are working with their overseas partners to track down the people who organised the shipment. AFP officers were staking out a Noranda house on Monday when they observed a ute arriving at the house and reverse into the driveway. The Aztec landed at Jandakot Airport just before 4pm. Western Australian police search a boat allegedly used to retrieve a package about 40 nautical miles off Perth's coast. Police said the rented motorhome was monitored by officers as itentered WA on Thursday, April15 after crossing the border at Eucla from Melbourne. Teen loses appeal against sentence for hit-and-run killing of Queensland couple and their unborn baby, Endurance swimmer known as 'King of the Channel' dies during triathlon, German zoo welcomes first polar bear cub in 21 years, Natascha Lechner died minutes after using frog poison in 'Kambo' vomiting ritual, inquest told, Households tally rising grocery bills as interest rates climb again, Police officer in hospital after being hit by garbage truck in Launceston, Sick 4yo boy left without pillow at Adelaide's Women's and Children's Hospital, opposition says, ACT cycling group suggests lowering speed limit to 30kph in Canberra's suburbs. Theyre people that are vulnerable and they get enticed by these drug syndicates to get involved. Police officers have seized 10kg of the dangerous drug methylamphetamine and more than $300,000 in cash following searches at suburban Perth homes. On the morning of December 29, two men arrived to allegedly pick up the boxes of pillows and take them back to a house in Maddington. Longhorn said it was imperative that police share intel with other agencies and create innovative ways of staying ahead of the syndicates. He was then arrested by the Transnational, Serious and Organised Crime squad.. Stay on top of latest drug news stories and find out what just happened, what is going on with drug. Three charged in major NYE ice bust - News.com.au WA Police have seized 33 kilograms of methamphetamine and 50,000 pills allegedly found hidden under a bed in a motorhome after it entered the state. So we waited and we watched, Blanch said. Kewdale Murder Charge AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/wa-police-seize-33kg-of-meth-in-border-drug-bust/100079626, Get breaking news alerts directly to your phone with our app, Reserve Bank hikes cash rate to 3.85 per cent as Qantas announces Alan Joyce's successor, Borrowers shocked as RBA announces interest rate rise, Businesses to be forced to pay superannuation on payday, meaning more retirement income for workers, Cat costumes, transformations, lots of black and white: Here are the moments from the Met Gala, Doja Cat, Margot Robbie and Nicole Kidman attend Met Gala for fashion's biggest night, Recreational vaping is set to be outlawed here's why and the effect vaping can have on your body, Health minister launches war on vaping, Medicare reforms. The WA drug bust that changed Australian law enforcement forever It was mostly unknown clients like the one bound for Jandakot who had booked the trips. Four men from Sydney are sentenced to decades in jail for their roles in a "sophisticated" drug importation that saw 1.2 tonnes of methamphetamine with an estimated worth of up to $1.1 billion . Another three suspects tracked down at houses and hotels, two of those were allegedly busted with two million dollars cash in their car. The next few months after the bust, investigators from the Australian Crime Commission infiltrated international money-laundering streams and exposed Ayik's drug empire. Police seized 6kg of methylamphetamine and more than $59,000 cash from a vehicle and properties in suburban Perth last Sunday. Australian police have intercepted $1bn Australian dollars worth of cocaine from entering the west of the country, in what is believed to be the nation's biggest-ever drug bust. Tue, 25 April 2023 3:52PM. A police investigation into the bust later uncovered more than 100 messages and calls between Micalizzi and two syndicate figures named 'Oz' and 'Bowa', a fake NSW driver's licence, three mobile numbers registered under false names and $9000 in cash. Police have revealed details of a covert international operation that stopped 2.4 tonnes of cocaine, worth $1 billion, from reaching Western Australia, in what is believed to be the nation's biggest-ever drug bust. DRUGS, firearms, stolen property and assets to the tune of more than $3 million have been seized by Kensington Detectives after police targeted a drug syndicate running from multiple Perth suburbs. As officers searched the black sports bag, they uncovered nearly $8 million worth of drugs. Micalizzi, who claimed he was threatened into flying to Perth by Oz and Bowa over a $20,000 drug debt and had no knowledge of the drugs, would later say he "took a gamble in court". Police arrested a 35-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman, both from Victoria, who were inside the vehicle.