International crime syndicate dismantled by NSW Police in large-scale operation
New South Wales police say they have dismantled one of the most powerful organised drug syndicates in Australian history. 28 people have been arrested after a year long investigation.
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TVTranscript
00:00 They've managed to dismantle one of the most powerful transnational criminal significant
00:06 in Australian history.
00:07 It's been a year in the making for those 28 arrests and 43 search warrants that you mentioned.
00:13 They got around 450 specialty officers alone in the past week to execute those warrants
00:18 and those arrests.
00:19 They believe that this criminal organisation network originates in Lebanon and has tentacles
00:25 that filter out through Sydney here, which is where the majority of these arrests have
00:30 been made in the past week.
00:31 Now they've managed to seize over $1 billion worth of luxury cars, cash, money laundering
00:37 efforts, even cryptocurrency, designer handbags, as well as other designer goods.
00:43 Now they've been able to link this movement to other underworld high profile people who
00:48 are in the Sydney and Australia gangland underworld.
00:51 We've heard previously about Sydney's rise of gangland violence and speaking with Deputy
00:57 Commissioner Dave Hudson a short time ago, he's reminded us that this violence has been
01:02 created on our streets, fuelled by a power struggle and a mission for drugs and power.
01:07 Here's what he had to say a short time ago.
01:11 Violence between criminal groups is always ongoing and we've been here before.
01:15 Josh and I have spoken about the catalyst for the violence on our streets being the
01:19 drug trade.
01:21 We will allege that in court that these individuals are heavily involved in the trade of illicit
01:26 drugs and violence flows from that.
01:32 Not the only reason for violence on our streets I might add.
01:35 Many of the what have been called gangland shootings have, upon investigation, have found
01:41 to be quite different motivations on occasions.
01:45 However, there has been conflict associated with this group and we think that's been resolved
01:52 as well.
01:53 Courtney, are police expecting to make further arrests?
01:57 Yes, Corrina, that's correct.
02:00 So like we've said earlier, this investigation and this development has been a year in the
02:04 making.
02:05 Police say that they're planning on making plenty more of arrests in the near future.
02:08 They are aware that a couple of these people are overseas at the moment.
02:11 They think that four are currently in Lebanon so they will be issuing search warrants and
02:15 warrants for their arrests rather to get these people home.
02:18 The issue with this is we don't actually have extradition rights with a couple of these
02:22 countries across the world, namely Lebanon, so it will be up to local police in that country
02:27 as well as cooperation from the Australian Federal Police to try and extract these people
02:32 home if it does come to it.
02:34 Now we've also seen a large operation with Australian Border Force as many people have
02:39 tried to flee to other countries that they think may be a safe haven for them as it traditionally
02:44 was a couple of decades ago.
02:46 Now speaking to Deputy Hudson and hearing from him earlier again, he has reminded these
02:51 criminals that there is no safe haven for them any longer overseas and they will actually
02:55 have to face the full force of the law.
02:58 Now those people who were arrested are due to face court today.
03:02 Some of them will face court across Sydney today and then a couple over the next couple
03:07 of days as well.
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