12:38, May 02 2022. Australia's world-first Assistance and Access Act passed in 2018 allows intelligence agencies to require tech companies to hand over encrypted messages. Now who the 16 people identified are, what they're charged with, and where they live can be revealed. The arrests and seizures were part of Operation Baystone, which began after 2.7kg of methamphetamine was found in the Perth suburb of Stirling in December last year. Police have arrested 10 people and seized over $1 million in cash and assets following a major operation targeting the supply and distribution of methamphetamine. 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. 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. The phones were stripped down - they couldn't even make calls, access the internet or send emails. 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. 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". 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. He is due to appear in Southport Magistrates Court on November 22. Breaking news, sport, business and more. 'Essentially, they have handcuffed each other by endorsing and trusting AN0M and openly communicating on it not knowing we were watching the entire time.'. 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. 'I can't comment on what's happening overseas at the moment, but I think I could probably assure everyone that the AFP and its partners are definitely exploiting the Ironside information, and the networks that we've identified, and we're actively targeting some of these Comanchero members offshore,' Superintendent McArthur said. At least one major gang hit back at police yesterday - labelling the operation a smear campaign. A man shot dead during the horrific Wieambilla terror attack has been posthumously bestowed the highest honour. It could only send messages to another device that had the organised crime app. Ninja Warrior 2017 contestant Sopiea Kong was among those arrested. 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. A scuffed copy of the Koran. In October, 20,000 ecstasy pills known as pink Porsche, luxury vehicles, properties and illegal firearms were seized through Operation Cincinnati. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has seized approximately one million pills laced with fentanyl allegedly linked to the Sinaloa Cartel in what authorities say is the biggest bust for . 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. Subscribers with digital access can view this article. The successful culmination of the investigations this week had caused significant disruption to organised criminal syndicates both here and overseas. 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. 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 . 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 . "We are an area that is very rich at present - a great area for organised crime to come and focus on," Supt Migro said. "We've got the president - there was actually a structure in place - there are a number of other people that we are waiting to see when and if they will be patched, and that was going to happen (this) weekend," WA Serious and Organised Crime Division Superintendent Jim Migro told reporters on Friday. 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. Three years ago, Australia Federal Policeidentified Ayik as a key influencer to successfully distribute the encrypted AN0M devices due to his high status in the criminal underworld. Regular chances to win incredible prizes like luxury getaways and sports tickets with our subscriber exclusive competitions. As officers searched the black sports bag, they uncovered nearly $8 million worth of drugs. We want to reduce the harm these gangs are causing in our communities, he said. They were arrested in April 2019 during a major police bust. But until now, its role in one of the biggest law enforcement operations in Australian history has remained a mystery. Supt Migro said the investigation was ongoing. 'We allege they aremembers of outlaw motorcycle gangs,Australian Mafia, Asian crimesyndicates and serious and organisedcrime groups,' he told reporters on Tuesday. Get the news you want delivered to your inbox. New Zealand's previous largest drug bust was in 2016, when 501kg of methamphetamine was seized in Northland, including 449kg. 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. 7NEWS can reveal the bust is linked to exiled bikie Mark Buddle of the Comancheros. Ayik, 42, is said to have unwittingly given police direct access to the criminal underworld by encouraging his colleagues to use the app. But they're not okay. Had this shipment been distributed across New Zealand it would have caused immense harm to the vulnerable communities these criminal groups were preying upon.. Police are making good progress dismantling his alleged empire of organised crime. It comes as there have been tonnes of drugs and hundreds of arrests overseas. '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. Comancheros: Major Queensland bikie bust nets 42 arrests, $2m in drugs and property Dozens of people have been arrested after a police massive operation targeting alleged drug supply by outlaw bikie gangs. 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. Senior members of the Comancheros gang purchased a catamaran and allegedly planned to rendezvous at sea with a "mothership" bringing large shipments of illicit drugs into New Zealand. Police and Customs managed to intercept more than 600kg of methamphetamine at Auckland Airport. Mark Vick Kitos, 28, of Stirling, was also charged, but did not appear in court and remains in police custody. One of the operations - dubbed Operation Van - specifically targeted the transnational organised crime group linked to the Comancheros. He is due to appear in Cleveland Magistrates Court on January 20. '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. 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. The AFP is also likely to seek extradition requests of a number of persons of interest living overseas. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the AFP operation, known as Operation Ironside, had struck a 'heavy blow' against organised crime. 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. In 2018, as part of Operation Nova, police detectives from the National Organised Crime Group covertly filmed a drug deal involving the Comancheros motorcycle gang. 50kg of cocaine seized in 10-month police probe, suspected Colombian drug ring . Acting detective inspector John Brunton from the national organised crime group said police are determined to target the leaders and key members of gangs that are involved in drug dealing. Video / Mike Scott. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. It wasnt an unusual occurrence. "We believe the termination of these operations will have a significant impact on New Zealand's organised crime scene.". He is due to appear in Cleveland Magistrates Court on Tuesday. 'And it isour intention that they are lookingover their shoulder, because our law enforcement agencies and thepartnerships we have around theworld are bearing down upon them,' he said. But the way journalism is funded is changing and we need your help to sustain local newsrooms. Watch 7NEWS nightly at 6pm and weekdays at 11:30am and 4pm on Channel 7 and 7plus.#MarkBuddle #Ourimbah #Kulnura #7NEWS A luxury Ducati motorcycle, Audi sedan, Rolex watches, ammunition, bullet-proof vests, firearms and even memorabilia from the 1972 cult classic The Godfather was seized from a number of properties. 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 arrests were made after 24 properties were searched on Wednesday 21 throughout the wider Auckland area, and three in Christchurch. Alleged crooks even paid six-monthly subscription fees to the police - the money only further reinforcing law enforcement methods. The group is accused of transporting drugs into Queensland via heavy vehicles for distribution across the states southeast and central region. Globally, the operation involved at least 300 criminal networks, more than 45 languages, and at least 27 million encrypted messages. Former Bachelorette star Samuel Minkin, who appeared on Becky and Elly Miles' season of the dating show, was charged with possessing a large commercial quantity of cannabis after police stopped a van in Byron Bay last month. Twelve people, aged between 20 and 42, will appear in the Auckland District Court in the coming days on various drug related charges. Senior investigators describe Ayik as the 'principal distributor of the AN0M handset.' 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Kiwi police working closely alongside international law enforcement agencies and spy networks revealed yesterday they have been secretly intercepting criminals' private communications on an encrypted digital platform built by the FBI. Santos reckons airport workers tipped off the police during one of the fuel stops, when Micalizzi refused to leave the aircraft despite airport protocol. Manukau District Court documents seen by Stuff allege five men participated in an organised criminal group with the shared objective of obtaining material benefits from the possession of methamphetamine for supply. Video / Leon Menzies. New details about a massive WA drug bust which led to the arrest of former Comanchero bikie Mohammed Oueida can be revealed for the first time. 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. who didn't just distribute the devices among associates but also profited from the sales. The Comancheros purchased a catamaran to carry out the offshore marine rendezvous. More arrests are expected domestically and offshore under a coordinated global response connected to Operation Ironside. 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. 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. Four men arrested in New Zealand's biggest drug bust have . 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. Mr Kershaw said detectives have arrested thealleged 'King makers' behind the alleged crimes, prevented mass shootings insuburbs and 'frustrated serious and organised crime by seizing theirill-gotten wealth'. 'Illicit drug use ruins lives and fuels organised crime.'. NZ POLICE/Supplied. Kylie Stevens For Daily Mail Australia
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. Acting Detective Inspector John Brunton outlines a major police operation targeting MDMA distribution (Video first published on October 29, 2020). Some 224 people have been arrested, $44,934,457 in cash seized, as well as 104 weapons, 3.7 tonnes of drugs and multi-million dollar assets. 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. From Whyalla they travelled to Forrest, a popular refuelling stop more than 1100km east of Perth, near the South Australian border. 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. They paid for the fuel and he built up his hours. 'THEY ARE COMPROMISED, LIARS AND YOUR DATA IS RUNNING VIA USA'. 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. He's pictured with wife Fleur Messelink on their wedding day, Hakan Ayik (pictured) has been on the run from Australian authorities since 2010. 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. 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'. 'That's what we're doing. The app was accessed by entering a PIN number into the phone's calculator, the stuff of spy dramas. 51K views, 164 likes, 10 loves, 53 comments, 86 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from 7NEWS Sydney: 7NEWS can reveal the bust is linked to exiled bikie Mark Buddle of the Comancheros. 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'. This is a long way from over.'. 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. Williams said $3.7m in assets had been seized, along with 20 ounces of methamphetamine, large bags of cannabis, multiple kilograms of iodine, four firearms, 14 vehicles, including two marine vessels, mobile phones and more than $1m in cash. 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. Police claim Milenkovski is the president of the nascent WA chapter of the Comancheros and was in the process of establishing the club in the state. Pasilika Naufahu and Connor . Micalizzi, who sat down at the back of the six seater, slept most of the time, Santos says, and spoke to him only to ask when they would arrive. 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 years, it sat on the tarmac at a general airport 20 kilometres south of Perth. Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook Subscribe to 7NEWS Australia for the latest news video https://7news.link/YTSubscribeConnect with Seven News onlineVisit https://7news.com.au7NEWS Podcast http://smarturl.it/7NewsDailyFacebook https://www.facebook.com/7NewsAustraliaTwitter https://twitter.com/7NewsAustraliaInstagram https://www.instagram.com/7newsaustralia/ 7NEWS combines the trusted and powerful news brands including Sunrise, The Morning Show, The Latest, and 7NEWS.com.au, delivering unique, engaging and continuous coverage on the issues that matter most to Australians. 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. CULVER CITY, Calif. (KABC) -- Authorities made one of the largest drug busts in Los Angeles County history recently, seizing meth and cocaine with a street value of nearly $60 million, officials say. That seizure was also allegedly tied to the Comancheros. Shit happens.". China increases military spending in face of escalating threats. Senior members of the Comancheros in Waikato, Waikato Mongrel Mob and the Head Hunters were among those arrested. The arrests include three sergeants-at-arms, a club president, and other office bearers. He is due to appear in Cleveland Magistrates Court on January 20. Members of the Comancheros linked to the alleged conspiracy are among those arrested this week. Watch: Australian Police take down mafia, Comancheros in early morning raids and seize millions in cars, drugs and cash. , started in 2018 with a fake encrypted communication app developed in partnership with the FBI. (NSW Police) NSW Police arrested suspects related to drug offences as part of Operation Ironside.
Members of the Rebels gang have been arrested after police searched 24 properties on Wednesday. They allegedly used the app, secretly developed by the FBI, to message each other around the world, unaware everything they said and did was being intercepted by FBI special agents and the Australian Federal Police. Credit:Nine News. Inside the vehicle was a man and a woman and allegedly more than 30kg of deadly methylamphetamine. The WA drug bust that changed Australian law enforcement forever. 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? The Wednesday arrests include a leader of the Comancheros who allegedly formed a partnership with a senior member of the Rebels in Christchurch. It involved three major organised crime investigations here targeting the importation, sale and supply of class-A drugs, as well as money-laundering activities. 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. The alleged offenders are linked to the Australian-based Italian mafia - known as the Ndrangheta - as well as outlaw motorcycle gangs, Asian crime syndicates and Albanian organised crime figures. 10:26 am on 9 June 2021. 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
He has since been spotted in Cyprus, Spain and Dubai, with Australian authorities suspecting he is the mastermind behind a massive drug lab in India capable of exporting tonnes of methamphetamine around the world.