Tuesday 24 May 2022 07:19 AM Accused members of Alameddine crew arrested in crackdown on alleged Sydney drug ... trends now
An accused member of the Alameddines crime network has been dragged out of his home in his undies amid a crackdown on an alleged 'dial-a-dealer' ring which police say is flooding Sydney with cocaine - and fuelling the bloody underworld war.
Eighteen men - all believed to be low and mid-level associates of the Alameddine crew aged between 19 and 39 - were arrested on Tuesday morning after a 450-strong team of police officers raided 29 properties across Sydney's south-west.
The blitz follows a 10-month-long investigation into the organised crime group, which police will allege has been dealing drugs throughout the city.
Police, desperate for a 'win' after 14 fatal shootings on suburban streets in the past 18 months, claim the raids have shut down an entire drug syndicate.
'(We've) cut the head off the snake,' Commissioner Karen Webb said.
The arrested men will be charged with crimes including drug supply, firearm, dealing with the proceeds of crime and direct or participate in a criminal group.
Dramatic footage shows police ramming down the doors of several homes, before they were taken away in handcuffs.
An accused member of the Alameddine crime crew was dragged out of his house by police in just a pair of Bonds underwear during raids in Sydney on Tuesday
Eighteen men were arrested around Sydney's southwest on Tuesday morning over their alleged role in a drug syndicate
Pictured is one of the men arrested on Tuesday. The blitz follows a ten-month-long investigation into the organised crime group, which NSW Police will allege has been distributing drugs throughout the city
The man in his underwear was seen sitting on the side of the road barefoot, staring at the ground in handcuffs early on Tuesday morning.
He was given a pair of shorts and a t-shirt before he was taken to the police station.
One man in a wheelchair was also arrested during the raids, while another man put up his rude finger while his hands were cuffed behind his back.
The raids were carried out in Sydney suburbs Guildford, Merrylands, Chester Hill, South Granville, Casula, Yagoona and Wentworthville.
Also arrested were alleged members of the Alameddine crime crew, including Rafat Alameddine's brother-in-law, Assaad Alahmad.
Trent Jeske, another alleged mid-ranking member of the group, was also arrested.
The crime network had allegedly been operating a sophisticated 'dial-a-dealer' scheme, which police allege was involved in supplying prohibited and prescription drugs across the state.
The raids were carried out as part of a large police investigation ran by Taskforce Erebus, the group recently established to coordinate investigations into a spate of fatal shootings in Sydney involving rival organised crime gangs.
A man in a wheelchair was also arrested on Tuesday after 29 properties were raided
One man accused of being involved in the drug syndicate puts up his middle fingers during his arrest
Police, desperate for a 'win' after a series of fatal shootings almost weekly in the city's south-west, claimed an 'entire' syndicate was shut down as a result of Tuesday's arrests
Police are seen speaking with one man arrested on Tuesday
Pictured from left to right are alleged Alameddine associates Ali Younes and Masood Zakaria, and Rafat Alameddine and Hamdi Alameddine. None were arrested in today's raids
NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Police Paul Toole claimed police had 'closed the net' on one of Sydney's most 'dangerous crime families'.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said she was confident police had 'cut the head off the snake', shutting down the syndicate altogether.
She said those arrested on Tuesday didn't appear to be employed but 'displayed considerable wealth'.
Police claim mobile phones were seized which allegedly raked in more than $250,000 a week in drug deals.
The alleged dial-a-dealer syndicate utilised 36 phones, with one device having more than 700 customers.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said she was confident police had 'cut the head off the snake', shutting down the syndicate altogether
The alleged dial-a-dealer syndicate utilised 36 phones, with one device having more than 700 customers
More arrests are expected to be made in the coming days. Pictured is one man who was arrested on Tuesday morning
A new taskforce has been set up to investigate the fatal shooting of Rami Iskander, 23. Taskforce Erebus helped coordinate the raids of 20 properties across Sydney this week
Alleged Alameddine member Trent Jeske (pictured) was arrested on Tuesday after properties were raided across Sydney
Assistant Commissioner Mick Fitzgerald alleged the phones had 'contributed to a number of murders' over the past two years, with large amounts of cash and drugs such as cocaine, prescription drugs, MDMA and cannabis found during the raids.
Weapons, luxury watches and jewellery and cars were also found.
'We believe we've had a significant impact on the Alameddine organised crime network - the drug distribution of that network has been dismantled today,' he said.
More arrests are expected to be made in the coming days.
Over the past 18 months, 13 people have been killed in gang violence in Sydney's west and southwest. Three executions have occurred in recent weeks.
The latest shooting occurred on May 14 when Rami Iskander, the nephew of slain gangland figure Mahmoud 'Brownie'
