NSW: Bikie gangs linked to major Sydney drug lab

AAP General News (Australia)
04-02-2010
NSW: Bikie gangs linked to major Sydney drug lab

By Andrew Drummond

SYDNEY, April 2 AAP - A high-tech Sydney drug lab allegedly produced large quantities
of ice and other narcotics sold for millions of dollars to line the coffers of bikie gangs.

Police raided two properties across the harbour city on Thursday and subsequently charged
four men, alleged to be the "main players" in the syndicate.

Two of them were arrested during the first raid on an industrial unit at St Marys in
Sydney's west.

Police say they found 10kg of the drug known as ice with an estimated street value
of $5 million, plus 4kg of pseudoephedrine commonly used in the manufacture of illegal
drugs, firearms and ammunition.

During the next raid at Rockdale in Sydney's south, police seized firearms, a hunting
rifle, eight mobile phones, three drums of ethanol, a money counter and about $80,000
cash.

The third alleged offender was arrested at the Rockdale address, while a fourth man
was arrested later in Sydney city.

"The laboratory that was located and has been examined by the chemical operations unit
was quite sophisticated, was quite well put together, there was a large amount of chemicals
used there and the information that we have had back from that particular unit is that
it was very well put together," Detective Chief Inspector Mark Jones told reporters in
Sydney on Friday.

While Insp Jones said more people may be arrested in connection with the syndicate,
the four men already charged were allegedly at the helm of the operation.

"We certainly managed to arrest all the main players who were involved in this particular
operation," he said.

Ahmed Nazzal, 27, Hakan Arif, 32, Hussein Kamaleddine, 20, and Kagan Keskin, 25, each
faced Parramatta Bail Court on Friday charged with manufacturing a commercial quantity
of a prohibited drug.

They made no application for bail and it was refused, with the matters adjourned to
Sydney's Central Local Court next Thursday, April 8.

Police say Nazzal is a Comanchero member, while Arif, Kamaleddine and Keskin each have
links to the gang and Keskin is also associated with the Lone Wolves gang.

"There is certainly some crossover (between gangs) in some of the individuals involved
in this," Insp Jones said.

"As to the exact link and whether they are working together, that's still to be determined
by police."

Solicitor Lesly Randle, who regularly represents Comanchero in court, says none of
the men are members and that police have "mis-stated" the association.

Police maintain the bikie gang connection and said Thursday's raids "will make a significant
dent both in organised crime and in particular outlaw motorcycle gangs".

"We are very much aware that the proceeds and the money seized by police would be used
for organised crime purposes," Insp Jones said.

He added that it is unknown how long the drug lab has been in operation although police
have been aware of the operation for some time.

"This has been a complex and protracted investigation," Insp Jones said.

"There was a large quantity of material, information available to police, (and) a decision
was made that this was the appropriate time to arrest, move in and seize the drugs we
believed were in the premises."

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KEYWORD: BIKIES WRAP (PIX AVAILABLE)

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