A handcuffed Santos assists police searching the plane at Jandakot Airport. 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. Australian Federal Police have charged four people after seizing eight kilograms of methamphetamine during an investigation into a suspected Vietnamese drug trafficking syndicate in Perth. Three men charged over alleged plot to bring $100m worth of meth into A 62-year-old man was arrested and charged over the stash. "Someone told me there was a story behind it, and then I sort of had an idea that that was the one that I vaguely remembered.". As the Aztec dived towards the runway at Jandakot, 20 kilometres south of Perth, Santos' only passenger tattooed 20-something-year-old Australian-Italian Joseph Micalizzi was finally waking up from his 15-hour drug-fuelled slumber. "WA is an attractive coastline because they think they won't be detected, it's such a large space, with very few people but they do not understand the capability of WA police," Blanch said. It was at this point, under the cover of darkness, that the TRG officers struck. Border officers found substance stuffed inside pillows shipped to Australia. 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". WIN a share of $75,000 in cash prizes with the worlds richest short story competition. They are progressing through WAs courts. On December the 28th we observed nine men come into Western Australia, some were from WA, he said. The West Australian can reveal police have charged Perth DJ Shivan Arasu-Dahl, 32, with a range of offences after a major operation was launched last October by the drug and firearm squad. Tue, 25 April 2023 3:52PM. With his eyes glued to the yoke, dials and switches, Santos hadn't spotted the small army of uniformed officers. The pair were arrested at the airport and ultimately charged with two counts of possession with intent to sell or supply, and sentenced to 15 years in jail. Just last month, 365 kilograms of cocaine was found stashed in an overturned boat off the coast of Esperance following the dramatic rescue of three men found clinging to an esky. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. Major drug busts across Perth have netted meth, cash and gold. The WA drug bust that changed Australian law enforcement forever. to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox. For years, it sat on the tarmac at a general airport 20 kilometres south of Perth. Weve got a newsletter for everyone. REVEALED: Perth DJ caught up in massive drug sting "I did say this as this was the defence I was running," he wrote in a letter from Acacia Prison. Share your story, anyone can enter. Being a playboy: Musicians shock take on WOMANISING, Terri Irwin UNRECOGNISABLE in stunning new look. Three charged in major NYE ice bust - News.com.au Qantas has announced a new CEO to take over from Alan Joyce. The latest real-time news updates and headlines on drug. A bankrupt and former nightclub bouncer from Bankstown well into his 30s, Santos had spent a few months before the bust flying passengers across the country in his Aztec in a bid to meet the minimum flying hours required to obtain a commercial pilot's licence. Police charged a 39-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman who were allegedly connected to the syndicate, according to ABC. All rights reserved. Operation Hoffman, a sting designed by Australia's most secretive and powerful law enforcement agency, the Australian Crime Commission, would topple a billion-dollar empire extending across two continents and send a drug lord into hiding. Get exclusive discounts on movie tickets, dining and popular attractions. As officers searched the black sports bag, they uncovered nearly $8 million worth of drugs. Police watch as offenders on board a boat stashed with drugs tows a smaller boat.Credit: Police Media, The people that we are targeting are the people that are involved at the upper echelon because theyre harder to replace, and word gets out.. He was then arrested by the Transnational, Serious and Organised Crime squad.. By 'Life will never be the same': MasterChef stars post tributes to Jock, Fatal flaw in escape from infamous island prison, Push to extend 'really popular' $100 voucher for NSW parents, Man denied bail after allegedly stealing Nick Kyrgios' Tesla, holding mum at gunpoint. The Ontario Provincial Police Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau and Community Street Crime Units of Grey-Bruce and Huron-Perth started an investigation in May after they say there was an increase in drug overdoses across . "I will say that this is the first time we've done anything of this scale," Blanch said. Perth Catholic college teacher charged with indecently recording four 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 . Police learned the alleged Australian arm of the group was waiting to receive the haul about 28 December, prompting WA officers to put together a dummy package using an inert substance. A month later, two boats attempted to retrieve the haul. Deputy Commissioner Tony Longhorn said: "It's a confidence booster every time we do these operations we're testing the limitations of our capabilities.". The biggest drug bust in Australian history has been pulled off by WA Police after an undercover operation led to the seizure of 2.4 tonnes of cocaine worth about $1 billion dollars. Olivia Day For Daily Mail Australia, TikToker who faked knowing NSW's daily cases and was hospitalised with Covid flies to the US and slams Australia - as he reveals what the average Texan REALLY thinks of things Down Under - but Aussies are not impressed, Supermarket shelves could remain bare for WEEKS - as Coles boss explains the real reason behind the nationwide supply shortage, 'We're not your enemies!' He added that implementing collaborative and innovative strategies in police intelligence would be key to tackling future drug activity. WA: 19 arrested and millions seized in drug sting | news.com.au A homeless man who allegedly launched a brutal, unprovoked attack on a retail employee as she made her way to work has been arrested. The drugs had been seized, so the risk of 2.4 tonnes coming to our shores had been mitigated, he said. Officers searched the delivery and discovered a 'crystal-like substance' stuffed inside the pillows. Peta Rasdien The West Australian. Police watched from the air as the second boat towed the first back out to sea, before it too ran into trouble. AFP Acting Assistant Commissioner John Tanti said the price of the illicit substance skyrocketed in WA due to border closures that restricted the supply. Arrests such as these should serve as a stark reminder of the life changing repercussions associated with drug dealing, Caulfield Divisional Response Unit (DRU) Acting Detective Sergeant Wes Yarnton said. Even after the arrests, police say the syndicate still believed the cocaine was available to buy and on 9 January officers raided a property at Carlisle in Perth and arrested a 28-year-old New South Wales man. It wasnt an unusual occurrence. A police siren is used to wake occupants as around 10 officers file inside. WA PoliceCommissioner Chris Dawson said another 45-year-old Victorian man, Mohammed Charif Oueida, was"the principal person behind this particular importation into Western Australia". We say we go after those who supply these drugs who organise these drugs to be distributed through our entire community, not just Western Australia, he said. However, police continued their operation, knowing the cartel believed another 1.2 tonnes of drugs was sitting in a WA warehouse. Organised crime squad detectives charged two men aged 44 and another aged 38 in connection with cash and drugs. AFP officers were staking out a Noranda house on Monday when they observed a ute arriving at the house and reverse into the driveway. 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". Western Australian police search a boat allegedly used to retrieve a package about 40 nautical miles off Perths coast. It was a sweet deal for somebody living off the generosity of friends and family. WA Police have seized 33 kilograms of methamphetamine and 50,000 pillsallegedly found hidden under a bed in a motorhome after it entered the state. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. The 41-year-old Scarborough man was teaching at a Catholic college in the city's northeast when he allegedly recorded four female students in his class. The alleged ringleader, known as "The Kid", is one of six organised crime bosses being targeted by WA Police. Fire erupts at car auction yard in Perth - 9news.com.au A further nine arrests were made through to 13 January, including on the Great Eastern highway, roughly 373 miles (600km) east of Perth, where officers found more than 1.2m ($2m) in cash. Extraordinary footage of the biggest drug bust in Australian history which resulted in WA Police arresting a dozen people with alleged links to a Mexican drug cartel can be seen for the first time. 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. Also contained in the vision is the moment officers retrieve the fake cocaine from the Catalina at Hillarys Boat Harbour. Another man, already in jail on drug charges, will be issued with a court attendance notice. Australia's largest ever crime sting shows messages drug lords sent Biggest drug bust in Australian history: Cocaine worth $1 billion Hakan Ayik with a lingerie-clad companion.Credit: The goods were shipped from overseas to Australia's ports, where dodgy wharfies would turn a blind eye to the cargo for the right reward. Police were able to use fake replicas of the drugs to trick alleged suspects into thinking the cocaine had not been compromised on its journey from South America. Remote landing strips were and still are a hole in Australia's national security network, too isolated and remote to be monitored effectively. Little did the trio know they were allegedly racing away from police without a single gram of drugs on board after border agent swapped out the drugs day before. The two men were met then met another group, who then allegedly helped to unload the boxes of latex pillows into a shipping container at the property. 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. Auto news:2022 Maserati SUV lineup due by the end of the year - drive.com.au, Your web browser is no longer supported. Credit:Nine News. Three men returned to the house the following evening and entered the shipping container to access the boxes. The footage then switches to the operational centre before moving to the dramatic moment tactical response group officers storm the beach at Moore River to arrest the three men aboard the vessel Cool Runnings. Among those arrested were the crew aboard the Catalina, who are also seen in the police footage. "I say that it's a magnificent effort to defend our shores," WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said. A Perth school community has been rocked after one of its teachers was charged with indecently recording four students. Officers watched their moves from the air and a tactical response group arrested three people aboard Cool Runnings allegedly with about 1.2 tonnes of the inert substance. It is the second significant drug bust by the Caulfield DRU in just three days. Border Force officers were first alerted to the delivery when a 550kg shipment of latex pillows arrived in Fremantle on a container ship on December 17. A total of 2.4 tonnes of cocaine worth about $1 billion was prevented from reaching WA shores thanks to a secret high-risk operation involving WA Polices new transnational serious and organised crime squad and agents from the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Western Australia drugs bust: Police arrest 12, seize $1 billion worth Key points: Mohammed Charif Oueida is one of three people charged over the bust Police allege Mr Oueida is the principal person behind the operation The pick-up was witnessed by officers from the ABF, the AFP, and Western Australian police officers who were assisted by Home Affairs and theAustralian Criminal Intelligence Commission. This comp is for you! The footage shows officers carrying large box-shaped items covered in brown paper, as well as smaller paper bags. Pic: Western Australia Police, Police used helicopters and drones in the operation. Longhorn said the operation was an opportunity to catch those responsible for drug importation at a higher level. Footage of the precision raid shows officers gathering out the front of a nondescript apartment in Mordialloc. 7NEWS Perth - DRUG BUST Tonight in 7 News at 6, a major - Facebook Perth woman facing drug charges following police raid Media Releases | Western Australia Police Force Three men arrested for attempting to import almost $1million worth of meth. WA cops crack cartels mega $1b drug shipment. 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. Joseph Davids, 32, Darren Dexter Fletcher, 35, and Reece Raymond Neil OConnor, 31, likely didn't learn the truth until they were hauled before court the next day. Fatal crash - Durack Published on April 23, 2023 Officers from the Major Crash Investigations Unit are investigating an incident that occurred in Durack today, Sunday 23 April 2023. "We're looking at 250-400 dollars a kilo for cocaine, so you can see the benefit in the cartels and offshore syndicates in they don't have to get a great deal through," said WA Deputy Commissioner Tony Longhorn. Perth RBT and Booze Bus locations - Facebook Tue, 14 February 2023 9:20PM A Perth DJ and self-proclaimed "upcoming producer" is among five people facing serious charges after detectives seized more than 12kg of drugs in Perth's north-eastern suburbs. Forensic specialists estimated there was about 99kg of meth inside the pillows, with a street value of at least $100 million. Santos reckons airport workers tipped off the police during one of the fuel stops, when Micalizzi refused to leave the aircraft despite airport protocol. The gear would then be cooked or cut if needed and distributed across the country using light planes like Santos', all while the Comancheros ensured the drugs and the syndicate's main actors would be protected as the enterprise's de-facto security arm. They charged a 39-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman they say are connected to the syndicate. Young offenders are 'running amok' in Alice Springs. Over the following days, police watched as two boats were used to bring the drugs to shore, where three men were arrested at Moore River and a further six at Hillarys Boat Harbour. Pic: Western Australia Police, How laughing gas addiction 'messed up' man's life, Cocaine worth 35m found on small boat in Sussex, Nitrous oxide is being sold on the streets. From Whyalla they travelled to Forrest, a popular refuelling stop more than 1100km east of Perth, near the South Australian border. In a cunning plan to trap them, police substituted the cargo for fake cocaine using identical packaging. Midland Detectives are investigating an attempted aggravated armed robbery that occurred on Sunday 23 April 2023, in Beechboro. The fire started at Pickles Auctions in Bibra Lake, a suburb in . Officers duped the alleged criminals into believing they had gotten away with the import, police say. In pre-dawn raids on Tuesday, five men were arrested in a joint police operation sparked by the seizure of 188 kilos of the drug in 2019. Then on 13 January police stopped a vehicle on the Great Eastern Highway near Coolgardie, more than 550km east of Perth, and found more than $2m in cash. Drugs News: Latest & Breaking Drugs Headlines and Today's News Updates from Australia | 7NEWS Drugs Heartbreaking last photo of teen who died from TikTok challenge By Stephanie Duprey / World News Teen could face death penalty after discovery in luggage at Bali airport By Matheus Meirelles / Drugs Unknown to the cartel, the drugs were switched out with identical fakes, made from plaster-of-paris. The party rode out in uncomfortable conditions in two vessels, Catalina and Cool Runnings both of which ran into trouble. 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.. To improve your experience, The population of 'world's most criticised prison' just doubled. Mohammed Charif Oueida caught up in huge drug bust as WA police seize This comp is for you! We had members from New South Wales, Northern Territory and one from the United States and we will allege that they were here to retrieve that 2.4 tonnes of cocaine and distribute it amongst our country. In a joint collaboration with the US, dubbed "Operation Beech", 2.4 tonnes of cocaine - with alleged links to a Mexican drug cartel - was seized by officers after it had travelled from South America. Police officers have seized 10kg of the dangerous drug methylamphetamine and more than $300,000 in cash following searches at suburban Perth homes. Breaking news, sport, business and more. The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. On 30 December, tactical response officers arrested three men onboard Cool Runnings, with approximately 1.2 tonnes of the fake cocaine. West Australian Newspapers Limited 2023. Officers also found a loaded handgun, firearm parts, ammunition and $26,000 cash. Arrests being made by WA Police as part of a $1 billion cocaine interception. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Three men - aged 31, 32 and 35 - have been charged with importing the drugs and faced Perth Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Cool Runnings then sank. Men to be charged over 188kg cocaine bust | 7NEWS Officers search the black sports bag containing nearly $8 million worth of drugs stored in the cargo hold. The substance was sent to police for . Please try again later. Perth drug busts: Police seize $3 million in property, drugs, cash, and Police smash drug ring allegedly run by 24-year-old, 'The Kid' They dropped it 40 nautical miles west of the state capital Perth, while monitoring it using drones and helicopters. This operation has enabled us to draw out those members of the syndicate who were equipped and prepared to receive and distribute a significant amount of illicit drugs within the community, who may have otherwise gone undetected and waited for the next consignment, the WA police commissioner, Col Blanch, said on Saturday. 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.