Latest news with #MAST
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- The Advertiser
Seven men charged with attempting to import hundreds of kilos of drugs
Seven men have been charged with major drug and tobacco importation offences following a multi-agency investigation into transnational crime syndicates. A Multi-Agency Strike Team (MAST), comprising officers from policing and government agencies, targeted "trusted insiders" in these syndicates. A 42-year-old man using a freight forwarding company in Punchbowl, in southwestern Sydney, to import more than 280kg of liquid methamphetamine from Canada was detected as part of the probe. On August 5, 2024, two men, aged 43 and 31, were allegedly observed accessing a cooler with the drugs at a location in Riverstone. Police arrested the 43-year-old man at a fast-food restaurant in Londonderry, in western Sydney. He was taken to Penrith Police Station, where he was charged with 17 drug and criminal offences. He was refused bail and appeared in Penrith Local Court on August 6, 2024. During another search warrant in Box Hill that same month, a 31-year-old man was arrested over drug offences. Police continued to investigate the 42-year-old man, who allegedly continued to use the freight forwarding company to import three separate consignments, containing more than 20 million cigarettes from the United Arab Emirates. In May 2025, MAST investigators established that the man was planning to import 50kg of cocaine in a shipping container from Panama, concealed in cement bags. It will be further alleged that the 42-year-old sought the assistance of two men, who flew in from Canada, to retrieve the cocaine from the cement bags and onward supply it to organised crime groups in NSW. On May 30, MAST investigators arrested four men in Wetherill Park. The men were taken to Fairfield Police Station, where the 42-year-old man was charged with a range of drug offences. Another 42-year-old man was charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs and participating in a criminal group. The two Canadian nationals, aged 24 and 31, were both charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of an unlawful drug. As a result of further inquiries, MAST detectives arrested a 36-year-old man at Sydney Airport on May 31 and charged him with importing large quantities of tobacco and participating in a criminal men have been charged with major drug and tobacco importation offences following a multi-agency investigation into transnational crime syndicates. A Multi-Agency Strike Team (MAST), comprising officers from policing and government agencies, targeted "trusted insiders" in these syndicates. A 42-year-old man using a freight forwarding company in Punchbowl, in southwestern Sydney, to import more than 280kg of liquid methamphetamine from Canada was detected as part of the probe. On August 5, 2024, two men, aged 43 and 31, were allegedly observed accessing a cooler with the drugs at a location in Riverstone. Police arrested the 43-year-old man at a fast-food restaurant in Londonderry, in western Sydney. He was taken to Penrith Police Station, where he was charged with 17 drug and criminal offences. He was refused bail and appeared in Penrith Local Court on August 6, 2024. During another search warrant in Box Hill that same month, a 31-year-old man was arrested over drug offences. Police continued to investigate the 42-year-old man, who allegedly continued to use the freight forwarding company to import three separate consignments, containing more than 20 million cigarettes from the United Arab Emirates. In May 2025, MAST investigators established that the man was planning to import 50kg of cocaine in a shipping container from Panama, concealed in cement bags. It will be further alleged that the 42-year-old sought the assistance of two men, who flew in from Canada, to retrieve the cocaine from the cement bags and onward supply it to organised crime groups in NSW. On May 30, MAST investigators arrested four men in Wetherill Park. The men were taken to Fairfield Police Station, where the 42-year-old man was charged with a range of drug offences. Another 42-year-old man was charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs and participating in a criminal group. The two Canadian nationals, aged 24 and 31, were both charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of an unlawful drug. As a result of further inquiries, MAST detectives arrested a 36-year-old man at Sydney Airport on May 31 and charged him with importing large quantities of tobacco and participating in a criminal men have been charged with major drug and tobacco importation offences following a multi-agency investigation into transnational crime syndicates. A Multi-Agency Strike Team (MAST), comprising officers from policing and government agencies, targeted "trusted insiders" in these syndicates. A 42-year-old man using a freight forwarding company in Punchbowl, in southwestern Sydney, to import more than 280kg of liquid methamphetamine from Canada was detected as part of the probe. On August 5, 2024, two men, aged 43 and 31, were allegedly observed accessing a cooler with the drugs at a location in Riverstone. Police arrested the 43-year-old man at a fast-food restaurant in Londonderry, in western Sydney. He was taken to Penrith Police Station, where he was charged with 17 drug and criminal offences. He was refused bail and appeared in Penrith Local Court on August 6, 2024. During another search warrant in Box Hill that same month, a 31-year-old man was arrested over drug offences. Police continued to investigate the 42-year-old man, who allegedly continued to use the freight forwarding company to import three separate consignments, containing more than 20 million cigarettes from the United Arab Emirates. In May 2025, MAST investigators established that the man was planning to import 50kg of cocaine in a shipping container from Panama, concealed in cement bags. It will be further alleged that the 42-year-old sought the assistance of two men, who flew in from Canada, to retrieve the cocaine from the cement bags and onward supply it to organised crime groups in NSW. On May 30, MAST investigators arrested four men in Wetherill Park. The men were taken to Fairfield Police Station, where the 42-year-old man was charged with a range of drug offences. Another 42-year-old man was charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs and participating in a criminal group. The two Canadian nationals, aged 24 and 31, were both charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of an unlawful drug. As a result of further inquiries, MAST detectives arrested a 36-year-old man at Sydney Airport on May 31 and charged him with importing large quantities of tobacco and participating in a criminal men have been charged with major drug and tobacco importation offences following a multi-agency investigation into transnational crime syndicates. A Multi-Agency Strike Team (MAST), comprising officers from policing and government agencies, targeted "trusted insiders" in these syndicates. A 42-year-old man using a freight forwarding company in Punchbowl, in southwestern Sydney, to import more than 280kg of liquid methamphetamine from Canada was detected as part of the probe. On August 5, 2024, two men, aged 43 and 31, were allegedly observed accessing a cooler with the drugs at a location in Riverstone. Police arrested the 43-year-old man at a fast-food restaurant in Londonderry, in western Sydney. He was taken to Penrith Police Station, where he was charged with 17 drug and criminal offences. He was refused bail and appeared in Penrith Local Court on August 6, 2024. During another search warrant in Box Hill that same month, a 31-year-old man was arrested over drug offences. Police continued to investigate the 42-year-old man, who allegedly continued to use the freight forwarding company to import three separate consignments, containing more than 20 million cigarettes from the United Arab Emirates. In May 2025, MAST investigators established that the man was planning to import 50kg of cocaine in a shipping container from Panama, concealed in cement bags. It will be further alleged that the 42-year-old sought the assistance of two men, who flew in from Canada, to retrieve the cocaine from the cement bags and onward supply it to organised crime groups in NSW. On May 30, MAST investigators arrested four men in Wetherill Park. The men were taken to Fairfield Police Station, where the 42-year-old man was charged with a range of drug offences. Another 42-year-old man was charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs and participating in a criminal group. The two Canadian nationals, aged 24 and 31, were both charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of an unlawful drug. As a result of further inquiries, MAST detectives arrested a 36-year-old man at Sydney Airport on May 31 and charged him with importing large quantities of tobacco and participating in a criminal group.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Two Canadians among multiple arrested in Sydney over massive illegal tobacco, drugs bust
A multi-agency taskforce has uncovered a huge illegal tobacco and drugs ring, seizing millions of cigarettes and more than 300kg of cocaine and liquid meth. For almost two years the law enforcement agencies have been investigating a 42-year-old Sydney man they allege is the ringleader. NSW Police, Australian Federal Police, Border Force and other agencies believe the group had been using "trusted insiders" at ports of entry into Australia to smuggle drugs. The "MAST" — or Multi Agency Strike Team — in July 2024 intercepted 280kg of liquid methamphetamine coming from Vancouver, Canada. The team kept an eye on the shipment but did not intervene, with the aim to track down alleged culprits. By August 4, 2024, police said they observed two men attempting to cool and extract the liquid methamphetamine in Riverstone. A 43-year-old man was arrested later that night at a fast-food restaurant in Londonderry, which police say led them to find a "methamphetamine cookbook". The man was charged with several serious drug importation offences. The same day, police said they arrested a 31-year-old man and charged him with participating in a criminal group. The 42-year-old who police allege is a ringleader, they also accuse of being behind the July 2024 consignment. He was allegedly using a freight forwarding company in Punchbowl to import the shipments into the country. The taskforce continued to investigate the 42-year-old, who they accuse of continuing to use the freight company to import cigarettes from the United Arab Emirates. Police will allege when they intercepted the shipments they located 20 million illegal cigarettes. In May this year, police allege they established the same man was behind a plot to import 50kg of cocaine concealed in cement blocks from Panama. Police will allege in court the ringleader enlisted the help of two men, who flew in from Canada, to retrieve the drugs from the cement blocks and sell it to organised crime networks in Sydney. The culmination of their investigation came last Friday when they swarmed on a Wetherill Park property and arrested the 42-year-old ringleader, the two Canadians and another 42-year-old man. They have all been charged with a raft of serious drug importation, proceeds of crime and criminal group offences and appeared at Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday. All were refused bail and had their cases adjourned to be heard again at the Downing Centre on different dates across June and July. It came as NSW Premier Chris Minns on Monday called for the federal government to reassess the tobacco excise to stop the lucrative black market funding organised crime. Mr Minns again doubled down on his calls to the federal government during a press conference on Tuesday, telling reporters it was a policy that was "just not working". "This is another element of federal policy we believe needs to change," Mr Minns said. "This will be the only tax in the history of the world that has doubled and revenue has declined by 33 per cent. "Where is all that money going … into the illegal tobacco sector." Speaking to ABC Radio Sydney, former federal police officer Rohan Pike said the federal government's tobacco excise had created an opportunity for organised crime networks to undercut the legal trade. Mr Pike helped set up Australian Border Force's illegal tobacco taskforce. "Clearly the exponential rise in the excise has allowed criminal syndicates an opportunity to undercut that legal market and now that the cigarettes are about a third of the price its obviously attractive to consumers," he said. "It's definitely something that should be considered … the rate needs to be reviewed. "One of the problems they're facing now is the market is entrenched, people are used ot the illicit product."
Perth Now
22-05-2025
- Perth Now
Insiders used to import 6kg cocaine
A man allegedly caught collecting 6kg of cocaine from an international commercial flight in Sydney told police his suitcase was filled with plaster. A foreign law enforcement agency tipped off police in January about trusted insiders being used by a drug trafficking syndicate to hide cocaine on international commercial flights destined for Australia. Six kilograms of cocaine was allegedly found concealed in 1kg packages that had been wrapped in duct tape on a flight searched by Australian Border Force officers on March 17. Police were tipped off by foreign law enforcement agencies about trusted insiders who were being used to traffic cocaine into Australia on commercial flights. NSW Police Credit: Supplied A Multi Agency Strike Team (MAST) allegedly saw a 23-year-old man from Narara collect the cocaine and travel to Gosford where he was stopped by police. He allegedly told officers his suitcase contained plaster. He was charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of cocaine and unlawfully import a border controlled drug. Police allege another 34-year old man from Hardys Bay near Gosford was the mastermind behind the failed plot. He was stopped by police near Kempsey on March 27 and charged with unlawfully importing cocaine which carries a penalty of life imprisonment. Two men from The Central Coast have been charged over an alleged foiled plot to import 6kg of cocaine on an international commercial flight into Sydney. NSW Police Credit: Supplied Both men are in custody and are due to appear before the courts over the coming weeks. The MAST is focused on targeting contractors, or public or private officials, who are on the payroll of organised crime. Known as trusted insiders, these employees unlawfully access information such as security or operational details, or use subterfuge, to help organised crime. AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Dametto said the strike team was committed to identifying criminals who used trusted insiders to enable the flow of illegal drugs, such as cocaine, into Australia. 'Criminals are motivated by greed and will use any means to import harmful drugs into Australia to make a profit, at the expense of Australians and their health,' he said. Two men from NSW have been charged over an alleged foiled plot to import cocaine on commercial flights from overseas. NSW Police Credit: Supplied 'Illicit drugs cause immense harm to users and their families and make our communities less safe. 'No matter how elaborate or creative the attempts are, the AFP and our partners are working tirelessly to prevent airports and aircraft being used by trusted insiders as part of the criminal supply chain.' NSW Police State Crime Command Acting Assistant Commissioner Jason Weinstein said trusted insiders played a pivotal role in the illicit drug supply chain. 'These individuals abuse their positions to facilitate criminal activity and targeting them through MAST is essential to protecting our communities from the scourge of drugs,' he said.
West Australian
22-05-2025
- West Australian
Trusted insiders allegedly used in foiled plot to smuggle 6kg of cocaine into Sydney on international commercial flights
A man allegedly caught collecting 6kg of cocaine from an international commercial flight in Sydney told police his suitcase was filled with plaster. A foreign law enforcement agency tipped off police in January about trusted insiders being used by a drug trafficking syndicate to hide cocaine on international commercial flights destined for Australia. Six kilograms of cocaine was allegedly found concealed in 1kg packages that had been wrapped in duct tape on a flight searched by Australian Border Force officers on March 17. A Multi Agency Strike Team (MAST) allegedly saw a 23-year-old man from Narara collect the cocaine and travel to Gosford where he was stopped by police. He allegedly told officers his suitcase contained plaster. He was charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of cocaine and unlawfully import a border controlled drug. Police allege another 34-year old man from Hardys Bay near Gosford was the mastermind behind the failed plot. He was stopped by police near Kempsey on March 27 and charged with unlawfully importing cocaine which carries a penalty of life imprisonment. Both men are in custody and are due to appear before the courts over the coming weeks. The MAST is focused on targeting contractors, or public or private officials, who are on the payroll of organised crime. Known as trusted insiders, these employees unlawfully access information such as security or operational details, or use subterfuge, to help organised crime. AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Dametto said the strike team was committed to identifying criminals who used trusted insiders to enable the flow of illegal drugs, such as cocaine, into Australia. 'Criminals are motivated by greed and will use any means to import harmful drugs into Australia to make a profit, at the expense of Australians and their health,' he said. 'Illicit drugs cause immense harm to users and their families and make our communities less safe. 'No matter how elaborate or creative the attempts are, the AFP and our partners are working tirelessly to prevent airports and aircraft being used by trusted insiders as part of the criminal supply chain.' NSW Police State Crime Command Acting Assistant Commissioner Jason Weinstein said trusted insiders played a pivotal role in the illicit drug supply chain. 'These individuals abuse their positions to facilitate criminal activity and targeting them through MAST is essential to protecting our communities from the scourge of drugs,' he said.
News.com.au
22-05-2025
- News.com.au
Trusted insiders allegedly used in foiled plot to smuggle 6kg of cocaine into Sydney on international commercial flights
A man allegedly caught collecting 6kg of cocaine from an international commercial flight in Sydney told police his suitcase was filled with plaster. A foreign law enforcement agency tipped off police in January about trusted insiders being used by a drug trafficking syndicate to hide cocaine on international commercial flights destined for Australia. Six kilograms of cocaine was allegedly found concealed in 1kg packages that had been wrapped in duct tape on a flight searched by Australian Border Force officers on March 17. A Multi Agency Strike Team (MAST) allegedly saw a 23-year-old man from Narara collect the cocaine and travel to Gosford where he was stopped by police. He allegedly told officers his suitcase contained plaster. He was charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of cocaine and unlawfully import a border controlled drug. Police allege another 34-year old man from Hardys Bay near Gosford was the mastermind behind the failed plot. He was stopped by police near Kempsey on March 27 and charged with unlawfully importing cocaine which carries a penalty of life imprisonment. Both men are in custody and are due to appear before the courts over the coming weeks. The MAST is focused on targeting contractors, or public or private officials, who are on the payroll of organised crime. Known as trusted insiders, these employees unlawfully access information such as security or operational details, or use subterfuge, to help organised crime. AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Dametto said the strike team was committed to identifying criminals who used trusted insiders to enable the flow of illegal drugs, such as cocaine, into Australia. 'Criminals are motivated by greed and will use any means to import harmful drugs into Australia to make a profit, at the expense of Australians and their health,' he said. 'Illicit drugs cause immense harm to users and their families and make our communities less safe. 'No matter how elaborate or creative the attempts are, the AFP and our partners are working tirelessly to prevent airports and aircraft being used by trusted insiders as part of the criminal supply chain.' NSW Police State Crime Command Acting Assistant Commissioner Jason Weinstein said trusted insiders played a pivotal role in the illicit drug supply chain. 'These individuals abuse their positions to facilitate criminal activity and targeting them through MAST is essential to protecting our communities from the scourge of drugs,' he said.
