Latest news with #NSWPolice
ABC News
33 minutes 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."
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Heartbreaking details emerge after a father was allegedly stabbed to death in 'drug deal gone wrong' at Croydon Park
A terrified neighbour has recalled the moment cops arrested a man after a father was allegedly stabbed to death in 'a drug deal gone horribly wrong'. A 32-year-old man was arrested by police following the incident on Kembla Street at Croydon Park, in Sydney 's Inner West, after 5pm on Monday. NSW Police described the scene as 'gruesome' and allege a man in his 50s was stabbed to death in a drug deal gone wrong. Police were called to the residence following a concern for welfare report. Superintendent Christine McDonald said the 32-year-old suspect was taken to Burwood Police Station where he was assisting cops with their inquiries. No charges have been laid. Superintendent McDonald confirmed police were 'treating this as a homicide'. 'This is a gruesome crime. The man's injuries are horrific,' Supt McDonald told reporters near the crime scene late on Monday. 'We believe this is a drug deal gone horribly wrong. 'We don't believe it to be domestic-related. We don't believe it to be gang-related.' She said it was not yet known if the victim and the detained man knew each other, or whether anyone else was in the house at the time of the alleged killing. A neighbour told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday the dead man lived with his wife and children at the Croydon Park home for just a few months before the alleged attack. 'The neighborhood is feeling very unsettled. This is a really, really lovely quiet street,' she said. 'We do all know each other. Pretty much, we all know each other except for this particular house. 'They haven't lived here that long so we don't know much about them. 'We understand there was potentially two or three families living there because there's a really big granny flat in the background. There's multiple living areas there.' Neighbours told Daily Mail Australia the dead man lived with a wife and children at the Croydon Park home (pictured) for just a few months before the alleged attack The neighbour saw officers arrest a man in his 30s and did not believe he lived at the property. 'It was very confronting,' she said. Superintendent McDonald praised responding officers, who she said detained the suspect before he could leave the scene. 'When we arrived, the 32-year-old male who we now have in custody at Burwood police station was on scene,' she said. 'We didn't give him any time to run away. We were here too quick.'
Daily Telegraph
5 hours ago
- General
- Daily Telegraph
William Tyrrell disappearance: Disputed claim emerges that person of interest took Tyrrell 250km to Tamworth
Don't miss out on the headlines from National. Followed categories will be added to My News. A second person has come forward alleging a 'person of interest' in the William Tyrrell investigation was identified by his own brother as being involved in the three-year-old's disappearance The woman, Donna Bulley, said she reported this to police months after William was reported missing in September 2014, but it was not followed up by detectives. The NSW Police Force has instead focused on William's foster mother in recent years but has not charged anyone over what took place and has been described in court as having 'no forensic evidence' and 'no eyewitness'. The person of interest, Frank Abbott, is currently in prison for child sex offences against multiple victims. Detectives investigating William's disappearance did not focus on Abbott until around 2019, years after Ms Bulley attempted to tell police about him. Recorded prison phone calls from November 2019 reveal police suggested Abbott 'borrowed somebody's car and went down, enticed [William] out with lollies and ice cream out of the yard'. He has privately denied any involvement, however, and is not suggesting the new allegations about his brother are true, just that they have been made and have not been followed up by police. Abbott was also never questioned at the inquest investigating what happened to William, with the coroner ordering her decision on whether to do so cannot be made public. Our investigative podcast Witness: William Tyrrell spoke to dozens of people about Abbott, including two men who now live in his old house in the town of Johns River, a short drive from Kendall, where William was last seen. Last month, we revealed the older of these men said Abbott's late brother Jeffrey – also known as Bluey – 'always said, when the stories were going around with Tyrrell, that he didn't do it. '[But] pretty close to when he died, Bluey said to my son, 'He did do it … and he's buried up on Big Bird Mountain there, where that big tree is'. 'No one ever checked that out.' The man's son said he did not remember the conversation, saying instead that Jeffrey Abbott 'didn't … believe Frank had anything to do with it. 'But … I think he was under the belief that Frank needed the jail time,' he continued. 'He deserved to be in jail because of things he'd done in his past.' The new alleged witness, Ms Bulley, came forward last week, after we reported this disputed claim. New disputed claims have emerged about person of interest Frank Abbott. Frank Abbott as a younger man. Picture: Dean Sewell/SMH Ms Bulley said she had been working in the Royal Hotel in Kew, a small town a few kilometres from where William was reported missing and where Abbott was often seen around the time. A regular customer 'got talking a bit and he said, 'Have you seen that bloody Frank Abbott around love?', said Ms Bulley. 'And I went, 'Actually, now that you say that, no I haven't'. He went, 'No, that's because the bastard's in jail'. 'He said, 'His brother Bluey told me that he took that little boy to Tamworth the next day',' Ms Bulley continued. 'I rang the police and I told them what he said. They rang me back … and I missed the call and then I rang them back and left a message and nobody ever got back to me.' Ms Bulley said this conversation took place in late 2014 or early 2015. Abbott was jailed over unrelated child sex charges in April 2015 – seven months after William was reported missing. Her account does differ from that of the first person to allege Jeffrey Abbott claimed his brother was involved. That man claimed William was said to have been buried near a local landmark known as the Bird Tree, while Ms Bulley claimed William was said to have been taken to Tamworth. Disputed claims have emerged that William Tyrrell was driven to Tamworth. Police were found to have 'no forensic evidence' and 'no eyewitness' information incriminating William's foster mother in court. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short Other evidence before the inquest alleges a close friend of Abbott called Ray Porter claimed to have given 'my best mate' and William Tyrrell a lift in his car, driving them 300 kilometres north. Tamworth is about 250km northwest of Kendall. Other evidence heard at the inquest suggests Abbott did travel to Tamworth along with 'a little boy', although this was not confirmed. Other evidence before the inquest also said Abbott repeatedly claimed to know where William was, suggesting various places linked to other potential suspects. Mr Porter, as well as Abbott's brother Jeffrey, have died in the years since William's disappearance, while the age of the customer identified by Ms Pulley makes it possible he too has died. The inquest into William's disappearance has been running for almost five years, with its findings still not expected for months. The police investigation has been running for over ten years, yet no one has been charged. The NSW Police Force, Coroner's Court of NSW and Abbott have all declined to answer questions. Abbott has claimed in court that he is no longer a person of interest to the investigation but this has not been confirmed. Originally published as New claim that William Tyrrell person of interest 'took that little boy' 250km away from where he went missing
The Advertiser
19 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'We need her home so she can have dignity': grieving mum welcomes inquiry
Police are reviewing links between historic sexual assaults and missing Bathurst teen Jessica Small as they inch closer to a second inquest. NSW Police revealed on May 7 that new information had come to light in the case, identifying additional witnesses in Jessica's case. Those witnesses are now working with the NSW Crime Commission to progress the investigation. Jessica Small, aged 15, was last seen in the early hours of Sunday, October 26, 1997 after attending the Amuse Me amusement centre on Russell Street, Bathurst with a female friend. The girls were attempting to hitchhike home and entered a white-coloured sedan driven by an unknown man. Police were told the man stopped the car on Hereford Street, Bathurst and turned off the headlights before assaulting both girls, attempting to detain them in the vehicle. Jessica's friend was able to escape and alert nearby residents, but the car drove off with Jessica still inside. Investigators believe the last sighting of the vehicle was near Duramana Road and Willott Close, Eglinton, travelling toward Hill End. Head of homicide, Sydney-based Detective Superintendent Joe Doueihi, said police are now looking at a number of sexual assaults which occurred in the Bathurst area around 1997, and the possibility they are related to Jessica's abduction. As the investigation progresses, he said they are appealing to anyone who may have had reservations about speaking with police at the time to come forward now. In an interview with A Current Affair, Supt Doueihi said police obtained information about the historic sexual assaults, which, while resolved, are now being revisited as part of Jessica's case. "We believe that this matter may somehow be related to those matters. "This investigation has never really been closed. It has been an active investigation for numerous years." Supt Doueihi said police had utilised the coercive powers of the NSW Crime Commission, telling A Current Affair "they have additional powers and resources that the NSW Police do not have, and we've called upon their services to assist us with this investigation". Almost 28 years after her daughter's abduction, Ricki Small clings to the hope that one day she will be able to bring Jessica home. And news earlier this month that a second inquest is planned into her daughter's 1997 disappearance has renewed her hope it will happen. "That's the most important thing to me," Ms Small said. "We need this solved so Jess can have dignity, peace and rest." She said she was glad police are still on Jessica's case. "Obviously I'm really happy with the new inquest," she said. Reflecting on the almost 28 years since Jessica was taken, she said it's like time has stood still while also moving on. "All these years have gone by; really, I'm amazed I'm still standing. "It's been a horrendous road." She said the trauma is there every single day. "I still live in Bathurst and there's things that remind me all the time. "There's the park [where the girls got in the car] and everywhere in Bathurst really. "I think where she would be and where she could be. "It's a sad existence, one part moving on in life while another will always be with Jess, back in October 1997. "Even my grandson Josh, he's 30 now. "He was two when she was taken. "Josh has kids himself now, which makes Jess a great-aunty. "The years, they all add up. "You always wonder what if. "Obviously, I've done some grieving over the years and now I would dearly love for the case to be solved and to bring her home. "That's what's most important to me, to bring her home. "We need this solved. We need her home so she can have dignity, rest and peace." But even if that happens, Ms Small knows that would lead to yet another road of grief for her. "It really never ends, it never will," she said. "But we love her, we want her home." She said any new witnesses "could shed a light on things" and that's what she is hanging her hope on. "I'm hoping for the best," she said, adding the years had taken their toll. "But I can't live back then [in 1997] and it can't be fixed." Police are reviewing links between historic sexual assaults and missing Bathurst teen Jessica Small as they inch closer to a second inquest. NSW Police revealed on May 7 that new information had come to light in the case, identifying additional witnesses in Jessica's case. Those witnesses are now working with the NSW Crime Commission to progress the investigation. Jessica Small, aged 15, was last seen in the early hours of Sunday, October 26, 1997 after attending the Amuse Me amusement centre on Russell Street, Bathurst with a female friend. The girls were attempting to hitchhike home and entered a white-coloured sedan driven by an unknown man. Police were told the man stopped the car on Hereford Street, Bathurst and turned off the headlights before assaulting both girls, attempting to detain them in the vehicle. Jessica's friend was able to escape and alert nearby residents, but the car drove off with Jessica still inside. Investigators believe the last sighting of the vehicle was near Duramana Road and Willott Close, Eglinton, travelling toward Hill End. Head of homicide, Sydney-based Detective Superintendent Joe Doueihi, said police are now looking at a number of sexual assaults which occurred in the Bathurst area around 1997, and the possibility they are related to Jessica's abduction. As the investigation progresses, he said they are appealing to anyone who may have had reservations about speaking with police at the time to come forward now. In an interview with A Current Affair, Supt Doueihi said police obtained information about the historic sexual assaults, which, while resolved, are now being revisited as part of Jessica's case. "We believe that this matter may somehow be related to those matters. "This investigation has never really been closed. It has been an active investigation for numerous years." Supt Doueihi said police had utilised the coercive powers of the NSW Crime Commission, telling A Current Affair "they have additional powers and resources that the NSW Police do not have, and we've called upon their services to assist us with this investigation". Almost 28 years after her daughter's abduction, Ricki Small clings to the hope that one day she will be able to bring Jessica home. And news earlier this month that a second inquest is planned into her daughter's 1997 disappearance has renewed her hope it will happen. "That's the most important thing to me," Ms Small said. "We need this solved so Jess can have dignity, peace and rest." She said she was glad police are still on Jessica's case. "Obviously I'm really happy with the new inquest," she said. Reflecting on the almost 28 years since Jessica was taken, she said it's like time has stood still while also moving on. "All these years have gone by; really, I'm amazed I'm still standing. "It's been a horrendous road." She said the trauma is there every single day. "I still live in Bathurst and there's things that remind me all the time. "There's the park [where the girls got in the car] and everywhere in Bathurst really. "I think where she would be and where she could be. "It's a sad existence, one part moving on in life while another will always be with Jess, back in October 1997. "Even my grandson Josh, he's 30 now. "He was two when she was taken. "Josh has kids himself now, which makes Jess a great-aunty. "The years, they all add up. "You always wonder what if. "Obviously, I've done some grieving over the years and now I would dearly love for the case to be solved and to bring her home. "That's what's most important to me, to bring her home. "We need this solved. We need her home so she can have dignity, rest and peace." But even if that happens, Ms Small knows that would lead to yet another road of grief for her. "It really never ends, it never will," she said. "But we love her, we want her home." She said any new witnesses "could shed a light on things" and that's what she is hanging her hope on. "I'm hoping for the best," she said, adding the years had taken their toll. "But I can't live back then [in 1997] and it can't be fixed." Police are reviewing links between historic sexual assaults and missing Bathurst teen Jessica Small as they inch closer to a second inquest. NSW Police revealed on May 7 that new information had come to light in the case, identifying additional witnesses in Jessica's case. Those witnesses are now working with the NSW Crime Commission to progress the investigation. Jessica Small, aged 15, was last seen in the early hours of Sunday, October 26, 1997 after attending the Amuse Me amusement centre on Russell Street, Bathurst with a female friend. The girls were attempting to hitchhike home and entered a white-coloured sedan driven by an unknown man. Police were told the man stopped the car on Hereford Street, Bathurst and turned off the headlights before assaulting both girls, attempting to detain them in the vehicle. Jessica's friend was able to escape and alert nearby residents, but the car drove off with Jessica still inside. Investigators believe the last sighting of the vehicle was near Duramana Road and Willott Close, Eglinton, travelling toward Hill End. Head of homicide, Sydney-based Detective Superintendent Joe Doueihi, said police are now looking at a number of sexual assaults which occurred in the Bathurst area around 1997, and the possibility they are related to Jessica's abduction. As the investigation progresses, he said they are appealing to anyone who may have had reservations about speaking with police at the time to come forward now. In an interview with A Current Affair, Supt Doueihi said police obtained information about the historic sexual assaults, which, while resolved, are now being revisited as part of Jessica's case. "We believe that this matter may somehow be related to those matters. "This investigation has never really been closed. It has been an active investigation for numerous years." Supt Doueihi said police had utilised the coercive powers of the NSW Crime Commission, telling A Current Affair "they have additional powers and resources that the NSW Police do not have, and we've called upon their services to assist us with this investigation". Almost 28 years after her daughter's abduction, Ricki Small clings to the hope that one day she will be able to bring Jessica home. And news earlier this month that a second inquest is planned into her daughter's 1997 disappearance has renewed her hope it will happen. "That's the most important thing to me," Ms Small said. "We need this solved so Jess can have dignity, peace and rest." She said she was glad police are still on Jessica's case. "Obviously I'm really happy with the new inquest," she said. Reflecting on the almost 28 years since Jessica was taken, she said it's like time has stood still while also moving on. "All these years have gone by; really, I'm amazed I'm still standing. "It's been a horrendous road." She said the trauma is there every single day. "I still live in Bathurst and there's things that remind me all the time. "There's the park [where the girls got in the car] and everywhere in Bathurst really. "I think where she would be and where she could be. "It's a sad existence, one part moving on in life while another will always be with Jess, back in October 1997. "Even my grandson Josh, he's 30 now. "He was two when she was taken. "Josh has kids himself now, which makes Jess a great-aunty. "The years, they all add up. "You always wonder what if. "Obviously, I've done some grieving over the years and now I would dearly love for the case to be solved and to bring her home. "That's what's most important to me, to bring her home. "We need this solved. We need her home so she can have dignity, rest and peace." But even if that happens, Ms Small knows that would lead to yet another road of grief for her. "It really never ends, it never will," she said. "But we love her, we want her home." She said any new witnesses "could shed a light on things" and that's what she is hanging her hope on. "I'm hoping for the best," she said, adding the years had taken their toll. "But I can't live back then [in 1997] and it can't be fixed." Police are reviewing links between historic sexual assaults and missing Bathurst teen Jessica Small as they inch closer to a second inquest. NSW Police revealed on May 7 that new information had come to light in the case, identifying additional witnesses in Jessica's case. Those witnesses are now working with the NSW Crime Commission to progress the investigation. Jessica Small, aged 15, was last seen in the early hours of Sunday, October 26, 1997 after attending the Amuse Me amusement centre on Russell Street, Bathurst with a female friend. The girls were attempting to hitchhike home and entered a white-coloured sedan driven by an unknown man. Police were told the man stopped the car on Hereford Street, Bathurst and turned off the headlights before assaulting both girls, attempting to detain them in the vehicle. Jessica's friend was able to escape and alert nearby residents, but the car drove off with Jessica still inside. Investigators believe the last sighting of the vehicle was near Duramana Road and Willott Close, Eglinton, travelling toward Hill End. Head of homicide, Sydney-based Detective Superintendent Joe Doueihi, said police are now looking at a number of sexual assaults which occurred in the Bathurst area around 1997, and the possibility they are related to Jessica's abduction. As the investigation progresses, he said they are appealing to anyone who may have had reservations about speaking with police at the time to come forward now. In an interview with A Current Affair, Supt Doueihi said police obtained information about the historic sexual assaults, which, while resolved, are now being revisited as part of Jessica's case. "We believe that this matter may somehow be related to those matters. "This investigation has never really been closed. It has been an active investigation for numerous years." Supt Doueihi said police had utilised the coercive powers of the NSW Crime Commission, telling A Current Affair "they have additional powers and resources that the NSW Police do not have, and we've called upon their services to assist us with this investigation". Almost 28 years after her daughter's abduction, Ricki Small clings to the hope that one day she will be able to bring Jessica home. And news earlier this month that a second inquest is planned into her daughter's 1997 disappearance has renewed her hope it will happen. "That's the most important thing to me," Ms Small said. "We need this solved so Jess can have dignity, peace and rest." She said she was glad police are still on Jessica's case. "Obviously I'm really happy with the new inquest," she said. Reflecting on the almost 28 years since Jessica was taken, she said it's like time has stood still while also moving on. "All these years have gone by; really, I'm amazed I'm still standing. "It's been a horrendous road." She said the trauma is there every single day. "I still live in Bathurst and there's things that remind me all the time. "There's the park [where the girls got in the car] and everywhere in Bathurst really. "I think where she would be and where she could be. "It's a sad existence, one part moving on in life while another will always be with Jess, back in October 1997. "Even my grandson Josh, he's 30 now. "He was two when she was taken. "Josh has kids himself now, which makes Jess a great-aunty. "The years, they all add up. "You always wonder what if. "Obviously, I've done some grieving over the years and now I would dearly love for the case to be solved and to bring her home. "That's what's most important to me, to bring her home. "We need this solved. We need her home so she can have dignity, rest and peace." But even if that happens, Ms Small knows that would lead to yet another road of grief for her. "It really never ends, it never will," she said. "But we love her, we want her home." She said any new witnesses "could shed a light on things" and that's what she is hanging her hope on. "I'm hoping for the best," she said, adding the years had taken their toll. "But I can't live back then [in 1997] and it can't be fixed."
News.com.au
21 hours ago
- General
- News.com.au
Fears for missing NSW teen Holly Whalan
A mother says she is 'extremely worried' for the safety of her missing teenage daughter after the girl was allegedly taken across state borders. Kahlia Whalan claimed people trying to contact her daughter Holly, 14, were being blocked and the teenager's Facebook page had been deactivated since she was last seen on Sunday. NSW Police said Holly was last seen about 12.15pm on Sunday at High St, Warialda – a town in the North West Slopes region, about 60km inland from Inverell. 'Police and family have concerns due to her age,' NSW Police said in a statement on Monday. 'Investigations indicate Holly may be in Woodridge, QLD, about 11.50pm last night. 'Police believe she may be travelling in either a 2015 blue Mitsubishi Lancer – QLD registration 741JD9 or a 2008 silver Audi A3 – bearing QLD registration 344GJ6 Qld and she may be in the company of two men, aged 22 and 24.' Woodridge is located in the City of Logan, south of Brisbane and about five hours' drive from Holly's home town of Warialda. Her mother published a desperate plea on social media for information about Holly's whereabouts on Sunday night. 'The police are searching for her, she is 14 years old, anyone who tries to contact her is blocked immediately, her Facebook has been deactivated,' she wrote. 'We are extremely worried for her safety, please help us bring our baby home, if you know something do the right thing and tell us immediately.' has contacted Ms Whalan for comment. She also shared CCTV footage of two cars – one blue and the other silver – which appear to match the models NSW Police described in its statement. It is unclear whether these vehicles were the ones identified by investigators. Holly is described as being of caucasian appearance, about 160cm tall, with shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a white crop top and black and white tights.
