Police Bust Drug Syndicate Operating Across Australia, Dubai and Netherlands

Nearly 600 police officers were involved in drug syndicate raids on August 8, with more than 1.8 tonnes of drugs prevented from reaching Australia, according to authorities. Seventeen people were arrested across Sydney, Dubai and the Netherlands.The multi-agency operation, named Operation Astatine and Operation Veyder, began in 2016 and was initially focused on drug trafficking and tobacco smuggling in New South Wales, Australia. The syndicates had links to the notorious Ibrahim brothers, who have alleged links to underworld and organised crime figures. ABC reported two of the brothers, Michael and Fadi, were arrested in Dubai and Australian authorities were seeking their extradition to Sydney.The operation was comprised of members from the Australian Federal Police, Austrlian Border Force, Australian Criminal Commission, and the NSW Crime Commission. It also involved “significant international assistance” from the United Arabs Emirates and the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Credit: NSW Police via Storyful