IF YOU VALUE YOUR PRIVACY & SAFETY'. Get the news you want delivered to your inbox. Ayik, 42, is said to have unwittingly given police direct access to the criminal underworld by encouraging his colleagues to use the app. Police searched 21 properties across Auckland and three in Christchurch. More than 800 suspected criminals have been arrested worldwide after being tricked into using an FBI-run encrypted messaging app, officials say. In Australia, 224 people were arrested including members of outlaw motorcycle gangs, mafia groups, Asian crime syndicates, and serious and organised crime groups. SEE THE MAP Brayden Heslehurst and Marcel Baum 12:38, May 02 2022. Mr Morrison said the AFP's covert mission was 'seeking to frustrate [the alleged criminals] in every link of the chain'. Police commissioner Andrew Coster said some are also facing money laundering charges. Crooks could buy a six month subscription to use the app - the funds raised unknowingly redirected to the police. 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. You can rely on Stuffs journalists to question the decision-makers, interview experts, and use eyewitness reporting to answer your key questions with facts and context. It follows the first phase of Operation Cincinnati in October when 26 people were arrested and kilos of drugs was seized, along with multiple firearms and more than $10 million in assets. Had we not made this seizure, those communities would have continued to suffer, and the individuals involved in this offending would continue to profit from the destruction with no regard for those they have affected. 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. The Turkish-Australian holds dual citizenship, and despite being included in the NSW police most wanted persons list and having an Interpol arrest warrant against his name, Turkey does not extradite its citizens. 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. Toxic trauma expert Gabor Mate diagnoses Prince Harry with attention deficit disorder but tells him it CAN 'I felt different to the rest of my family - and my mum felt the same': Prince Harry opens up on his 'broken 'He's completely beige drained of all his feisty ginger life-blood': JULIE BURCHILL'S verdict on Prince 'I was a bit of a mess': Amanda Abbington reveals she considered suicide after split from ex Martin Freeman DR ELLIE CANNON: My breast has not got lumps but it's itchy, should I be concerned about cancer at age 72? Now, a man has purchased the same Aztec Piper which brought the drugs to WA.Credit: 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. With his eyes glued to the yoke, dials and switches, Santos hadn't spotted the small army of uniformed officers. By Alana Mazzoni and Daniel Piotrowski and Kylie Stevens For Daily Mail Australia, Published: 01:08 GMT, 8 June 2021 | Updated: 16:10 GMT, 8 June 2021. But the way journalism is funded is changing and we need your help to sustain local newsrooms. A 32-year-old Wynnum man charged with eight offences including two counts of trafficking in dangerous drugs serious - organised crime, two counts of possessing property having been used in connection with the commission of a drug offence, and four counts of supplying dangerous drugs. Ayik is wanted in several countries, including Australia, where he is listed as one of NSW's most wanted criminals. But the Daily Mail can reveal the entire elaborate sting was placed in jeopardy in late March, when an anonymous blogger sounded the alarm, labelling the platform a 'scam' which rerouted peoples' data through to the United States. Police and Customs managed to intercept more than 600kg of methamphetamine at Auckland Airport. Shit happens.". Inside the 'Aussie cartel': How nine 'baddest of the bad' How bikie drug gangs are 'infiltrating' airports and even Ukraine soldiers shoot down enemy drones with drones of their own, Wheel of Fortune contestant answers food puzzle wrong, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' Credit:Nine News. Senior leaders of the Comancheros and Rebels gangs have been arrested and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash seized following a raft of armed police raids across Auckland and Christchurch. A scuffed copy of the Koran. Police seized huge cash and drug stashes, and alleged bikies now owe other dangerous crime figures significant amounts of money. For years, it sat on the tarmac at a general airport 20 kilometres south of Perth. More charges are expected to be laid as Australian Federal Police work their way through the 25 million messages intercepted by the encrypted app. China increases military spending in face of escalating threats. He's pictured with wife Fleur Messelink on their wedding day, Hakan Ayik (pictured) has been on the run from Australian authorities since 2010. 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. Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Mooney said large quantities of cocaine, methylamphetamine, heroin and cannabis were uncovered during the arrests. Pictured: ammunition seized by authorities, Operation Ironside foiled 21 murder plots and seized more than three tonnes of drugs, $35.8 million in cash, 72 firearms and 1650 devices with the encrypted app. His Dutch wife,hair transplant business owner Fleur Messelink publicly flaunted the couple's elaborate lifestyle on Instagram until this week. Waikato Mongrel Mob's public relations liaison, Lou Hutchinson, took to Twitter to say: "Lol do you seriously believe all the bullsh*t spin about the Waikato Mongrel Mob Kingdom [sic] this is a total smear campaign driven by the NZ Police, politicians and mainstream media! The covert surveillance led to the termination of dozens of search warrants on Monday and a swathe of arrests putting a heavy dent in the criminal drug trade here and preventing the Comancheros earning millions of dollars from narcotics. Police seized almost $2m in drugs and property after raids on a Comancheros bikie gang drug trafficking syndicate. Police are making. The Aztec at a hangar at Jandakot Airpot. But they're not okay. Gang expert - Canterbury University criminal justice director Jared Gilbert - said many organised criminals would be looking over their shoulders following the major police bust. Desperate drivers are taking to social media to buy and sell demerit points, risking eye-wateringly expensive fines in the process. A 24-year-old Mount Gravatt East man charged with 17 offences including two counts of trafficking in dangerous drugs - serious organised crime, six counts of supplying dangerous drugs and one count of receiving or possessing property obtained from trafficking or supplying. READ MORE: * 20,000 ecstasy pills and Ferrari seized in major police bust in Auckland. He is due to appear in Cleveland Magistrates Court on Tuesday. The successful culmination of the investigations this week had caused significant disruption to organised criminal syndicates both here and overseas. A 46-year-old Mango Hill man charged with nine offences including two counts of trafficking in dangerous drugs - serious organised crime, two counts of supplying dangerous drugs and weapon offences. It wasnt an unusual occurrence. Pictured: weapons seized by detectives, Australia's world-first Assistance and Access Act passed in 2018 allows intelligence agencies to require tech companies to hand over encrypted messages. For more than 18 months, Anom's criminal users unknowingly communicated on the system operated by FBI agents. The app was created by police and spread to criminals, then millions of messages were intercepted and used to make arrests in Australia's biggest ever sting. However, in 2010, as the Australian branch of the syndicate started to unravel, Ayik fled the country. But the ANoM phones were actually designed by the FBI and allowed Australian police to read the texts of organised crime figures. The arrests were made after 24 properties were. For its encryption, it claimed to use 'OMEMO Double Ratchet Algorithm independently audited by Dutch security research group Radically Open Security'. "They are establishing themselves here in WA.". They sat back and secretly intercepted millions of messages sent as unsuspecting associates openly stated their plans including plots to kill, importing drugs and identifying those who could help them with their criminal enterprises. Coster thanked Customs for its exceptional profiling of shipments from high-risk countries. About five kilograms of the drug was found hidden in a car being transported to Perth from Sydney, while a search of 13 premises in Perth overnight turned up a further 210g. Five unexpected signs in your 20s and 30s you're at risk of developing heart disease later in life. 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. 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. 'The operation puts Australia at the forefront of the fight against criminals who peddle in human misery and ultimately, it will keep our communities and Australians safe,' he said on Tuesday. The next few months after the bust, investigators from the Australian Crime Commission infiltrated international money-laundering streams and exposed Ayik's drug empire. Then known as Joseph Hakan Ayik, the Sydney bikie associate and gym junkie fled Australia in 2010 to avoid arrest over a $230 million heroin importation. The police sting has 'significantly impacted' the Comancheros and their business model as alleged club figures Mark Buddle and alleged drug kingpin Hakan Ayik remain on the run from authorities overseas. The 33-year-old was charged last week following a raid at a Kangaroo Point home, where police allegedly seized 154g of meth. Senior members of the Comancheros in Waikato, Waikato Mongrel Mob and the Head Hunters were among those arrested. Video / Mike Scott. "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.". 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. This is a long way from over.'. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts, Dozens stuck in car park as staff refuses to open gate for woman, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA. 'Enforce your right to privacy': This is how the ANoM website advertised its product - with users not realising that law enforcement officials could read each and every message. "This shipment never made it to New Zealand.". Property seized included 3.7 tonnes of drugs, 104 weapons, $44,934,457 million in cash and assets expected to run into millions of dollars. The drugs have a street value of more than $245 million, police said in a statement. Alleged crooks even paid six-monthly subscription fees to the police - the money only further reinforcing law enforcement methods. 'The cash that we've seized, which they now owe debts on, the drugs that have been seized which they now owe debts on,' Superintendent McArthur said. "We believe the termination of these operations will have a significant impact on New Zealand's organised crime scene.". By The app was invitation-only as of Tuesday morning - before the page was sensationally taken down and replaced with a warning by the FBI, Anom's Twitter account claimed the company was based in the famously neutral nation of Switzerland. Successful police operations like Trojan Shield also ensured organised crime groups "don't gain an asset base which they can use to corrupt government officials or port or airline workers, which can make their operations easier to undertake". Get the news you want delivered straight to your inbox so you never miss a headline. 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. Led by the FBI, and co-ordinated with the US Drug Enforcement Agency, Australian Federal Police, Europol and other law enforcement partners from more than a dozen countries, the covert operation involved investigators infiltrating encrypted devices used by transnational criminals. An anonymous blogger known only as 'canyouguess67' posted an article warning users to keep off ANOM for their 'own safety', Daily Mail Australia can reveal. www.heraldsun.cohttps://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/how-operation-ironsides-an0m-sting-put-a-hole-in-bikie-gangs/news-story/02b33f401ffff4ec7c87546646fcc5c9. He is due to appear in Cleveland Magistrates Court on Tuesday. Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook 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. AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said federal agents had been in the 'back pockets' of criminals through the encryption app. The asset recovery unit also restrained three properties, worth a total of $5.7m, meaning they cannot be sold. Criminals needed to know a criminal to get a device. The Comancheros are regarded as one of the most violent motorcycle gangs in Australia. Police are making good progress dismantling his alleged empire of organised crime. A 10-month investigation targeting an alleged bikie network in Brisbane connected to the notorious Comanchero gang has led to the arrest of 42 people on nearly 430 charges and the seizure of nearly $2m in drugs, cash and property. It is estimated the meth could have caused more than $500 million worth of social harm if sold into the community. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. They claim to have disrupted those planned importations. The incredible scheme - which is said to have been cooked up by an Australian Federal Police officer over beers with his mates from the FBI - has also resulted in hundreds of arrests overseas and uncovered 21 murder plots. The hacker added that law enforcement agencies had been tipped off. Four men and a woman have been charged with drug trafficking after officers executed search warrants at their homes on Wednesday. (Supplied) 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. 'I have amessage for the criminals targetingAustralia and Australia's interests- the AFP will be relentless,' Mr Kershaw said. He is due to appear in Cleveland Magistrates Court on January 20. Remote landing strips were and still are a hole in Australia's national security network, too isolated and remote to be monitored effectively. In October, 20,000 ecstasy pills known as pink Porsche, luxury vehicles, properties and illegal firearms were seized through Operation Cincinnati. Members of the Rebels gang have been arrested after police searched 24 properties on Wednesday. It was a sweet deal for somebody living off the generosity of friends and family. Wed, 16 June 2021 2:00AM 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". It will also be alleged six vehicles were either stolen or used to commit an offence including two cars, a motorcycle, truck, trailer and jet ski worth a combined $230,000. "Turn the engine off and get out of the aircraft.". Australian bikie gangs have been crippled by almost 100 arrests stemming from the Trojan horse encryped messaging app AN0M. 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. '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. Its buyer, a former 747 Qantas pilot and mining, military and medical industries surplus trader, planned to donate it to a Jandakot-based tertiary education centre to train prospective engineers in disassembling aeroplanes. Police said the raids targeted a group believed to be involved in the importation, distribution and manufacture of methamphetamine and MDMA. A number of luxury cars were seized by police in October, including a 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista worth more than $630,000. 'Illicit drug use ruins lives and fuels organised crime.'. It involved three major organised crime investigations here targeting the importation, sale and supply of class-A drugs, as well as money-laundering activities. Revealed: The top 10 fastest-growing destinations for UK pensioners retiring overseas. 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. 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 . "The jury didn't buy it, I was found guilty at trial and got 15 years. 'We allege they aremembers of outlaw motorcycle gangs,Australian Mafia, Asian crimesyndicates and serious and organisedcrime groups,' he told reporters on Tuesday. 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. Acting Detective Inspector John Brunton outlines a major police operation targeting MDMA distribution (Video first published on October 29, 2020). "It takes years to build these networks. Police watched in real time as alleged crooks spilled their secrets to one another on their own app. As officers searched the black sports bag, they uncovered nearly $8 million worth of drugs. The Wednesday arrests include a leader of the Comancheros who allegedly formed a partnership with a senior member of the Rebels in Christchurch. Charles 'will NEVER build real relationship with Archie and Lili unless Harry and Meghan get new royal 'Putin has STOLEN our Ukrainian children': Distraught parents tell how THOUSANDS of youngsters never EMILY PRESCOTT: Sarah Ferguson 'confused' after seeing photos from goddaughter's wedding she thought she was Joe Biden is 'unlikely' to attend King Charles' coronation due to Ireland trip - despite promising to A 14-year-old autistic boy's naive prank. Huge AFP bust has seen 4,000 cops storm Australia's underworld overnight . ANoM's website, which was only deleted about 10am on Tuesday, made the technology sound bulletproof. On its glitzy website, the 'ANoM' phone looks like any new tech innovation with sleek black lines, 'invite only' exclusivity and a pledge to 'enforce your right to privacy'. The 5-year hunt for Comancheros gang boss. The Cannon Hill man was charged with six offences including two counts of trafficking, one count of carrying a weapon in public and one count of supplying drugs. Dozens of people have been arrested after a police massive operation targeting alleged drug supply by outlaw bikie gangs. All times AEDT (GMT +11). Globally, the operation involved at least 300 criminal networks, more than 45 languages, and at least 27 million encrypted messages. 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. Mr Kershaw said detectives witnessed associates 'turning on each other' and doing business behind each other's backs. Breaking news, sport, business and more. 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. They were arrested in April 2019 during a major police bust. ", Witnesses sought following assault, Hastings"Police are seeking witnesses to an assault, International police operation: How the gangs were brought to their knees - NZ Herald. "It's a great day for New Zealand," Williams told the Herald. Alleged bikies and associates make up one third of the hundreds of arrests made under Operation Ironside, along-term covert investigation into organised crime allegedly responsible for huge drug imports. Australia's biggest ever police bust used encrypted app to intercept messages Alleged bikies and associates make up a third of 303 Operation Ironside arrests Hardest hit gang were the Comancheros . 23:02 EST 13 Nov 2021. 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'. 'We allege they've beentrafficking illicit drugs intoAustralia at an industrial scale. MDMA, cash and firearms were seized by police in October in Operation Cincinnati. He is due to appear in Cleveland Magistrates Court on January 20. Hayden Burber, 33,alleged treasurer of the South Australian Comanchero, Christian Taumoefolau, 31, allegedSergeant-at-Arms of the Victorian Comanchero, Eren Kaya, 28, alleged Sergeant-at-Arms from Victoria, Muhammed Topal,25, Victorian-based brother of high-ranking Comanchero figure Hasan Topal, Emmanuel Vamvoukais, 40, alleged sergeant-at-arms of the NSW South Coast, Elias Elchaar, 49, alleged national sergeant-at-arms of the Lone Wolf gang, The comments below have not been moderated, By Inside the vehicle was a man and a woman and allegedly more than 30kg of deadly methylamphetamine. Police also seized a number of assets and eight luxury vehicles, including a 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista worth more than $630,000, and a 2020 Porsche 911 Coupe, worth more than $230,000. Faulkhead was arrested with five other men in January 2014 after large-scale drug raids in the Mildura region. Samuel Minkin, 28, appeared in court last week after allegedly being busted by cops, The AFP is also likely to seek extradition requests of a number of persons of interest living overseas. It comes as there have been tonnes of drugs and hundreds of arrests overseas. We'rebearing down upon them. "Joseph Micalizzi," he said, a large sports bag hanging from his shoulder. Now who the 16 people identified are, what they're charged with, and where they live can be revealed. 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. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. The bust exposed new details about how one of Australia's most wanted fugitives gave police extensive access to the world's criminal underworld, Among the items seized by the AFP was memorabilia from the 1972 cult classic The Godfather, Australia's biggest ever police bust has seen 3.77 tonnes of drugs, $45 million in cash, guns, luxury cars, motorcycles and watches pictured) seized, Ninja Warrior 2017 contestant Sopiea Kong was among those arrested. Bi was released on $400,000 bail to reappear on March 26. NZ POLICE/Supplied. 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. Where 16 people charged and identified as part of Operation Tango Citron live An alleged drug syndicate believed to have links to a notorious bikie gang was dismantled by police in a massive drug bust. Comancheros in WA: New details emerge about drug bust which led to arrest of former member Mohammed Oueida. It was the biggest drug bust in WA history and a day law enforcement officers . The huge drug bust was uncovered when detectives from the drug and firearms squad pulled over a rented Winnebago near Kellerberrin on April 16. Australian, US, and European authorities carried out raids across the world in June, with 4,000 cops in Australia arresting 224 accused organised crime figures and seizing tonnes of drugs, millions in cash, and other contraband and luxury goods. Senior bikies and mafia figures were tricked into buying hi-tech phones that would supposedly let them messages one another, free of police snooping. It was a 30-plus degree summer day and, although a cyclone was gravitating towards Western Australia's northern coast, not a gust of wind was blowing at the strip. A 33-year-old Tarragindi man charged with 25 offences including three counts of trafficking in dangerous drugs - serious organised crime, eight counts of supplying dangerous drugs and weapon offences. "I did say this as this was the defence I was running," he wrote in a letter from Acacia Prison. He invested his proceeds of crime in hotel and resort developments while living a lavish lifestyle that extended to flashy cars and private yachts. BBC's 1million star Zoe Ball, 52, lands big new payday for Abba show on ITV. 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. 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. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. His good name goes behind it, he gets some fees, there's a cut from the selling of the handsets.'. "We are an area that is very rich at present - a great area for organised crime to come and focus on," Supt Migro said. Twelve people have been arrested, including senior leaders of the Comancheros and Rebels gangs, after a major drug bust operation on Wednesday. Subscribers with digital access can view this article. 'Andthese figures are likely to increaseover the coming days.

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