Police have hit back against Sydney’s bitter gangland crime war with a weeklong blitz rounding up 11 suspected criminals.
A series of 47 raids also seized $600,000 worth of drugs, cars, weapons, cash, sports cars, and jewelry from stockpiles across the city.
However, police failed to find a single gun in the four dozen searches, which was the stated purpose of each of the warrants.
NSW Police Strike Force Raptor made 11 arrests, all of which are believed to be connected to the warring Hamzy and Alameddine crime families
NSW Police Force executing one of 42 firearms search warrants in their latest operation
All of the 11 arrests made are believed to be connected to the warring Hamzy and Alameddine crime families, the Daily Telegraph reported.
‘During the operation, officers seized more than $400,000 cash, vehicles, weapons, jewellery, and electronic devices,’ NSW Police said.
‘Officers also seized prohibited drugs with a combined estimated potential street value of more than $200,000.’
The illegal drugs seized were cocaine and marijuana, but prescription drugs were also amongst the haul.
The raids included homes at Penrith, Greenacre, Punchbowl, Brighton Le Sands and Cabramatta.
Although NSW Police did not seize firearms during their searches, they did seize ammunition
NSW Police seized more than $250,000 in just two searches as Strike Force Raptor conducted operations this week
Cocaine and cannabis were among items seized worth $600,000 by NSW Police Strike Force Raptor in the past week
NSW Police conceded they did not find firearms in the raids, a fact explained as ‘a good indication that these targets don’t readily have access to such weapons’.
They did, however, locate ammunition.
Police announced they expect to be further arrests in coming days and noted ‘the most significant’ arrests.
One of these was Moustafa Mariam, 36, who was arrested at 1am on Monday by Raptor’s Highway Patrol.
His Audi RS3 was pulled over after he was caught doing 110km/h in a 70km zone, then arrested and taken to Bankstown police station, where he faced several assault charges, including choking and stalking.
He appeared in Bankstown Local Court and was refused bail until he appears again on May 26.
On Tuesday, Thomas Tonga‘s Penrith home was raided and more than $120,000 cash, a black BMW, a money counter, drugs, ammunition and phones were confiscated.
Tonga, 26, was taken to Penrith police station and refused bail after a hearing at Penrith Local Court where he faced assault and drug supply charges.
This car believed to belong to Thomas Tonga was seized by NSW Police in the raids
This cannabis was seized by NSW Police which growing operation at Cabramatta was one of the many targets in NSW police operations in the past week
Last Thursday, Moufid Awad, 29, was raided at his Greenacre home, where police seized cocaine, cannabis, mobile phones and nearly $130,000 cash.
He appeared at Bankstown Local Court on drug charges and was granted ‘strict conditional bail’ and will appear at Burwood Local Court on May 20.
The same day Shawn Butler, 39, was arrested in Brighton le Sands and hit with drug charges. During the raid, drugs, watches, mobile phones and cash were allegedly seized.
Raptor Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent, Jason Weinstein called the most recent operations ‘an outstanding success’
Butler was refused bail at Sutherland Local Court and returns there on April 26.
On Sunday, two other men – aged 55 and 44 – were arrested over to an alleged cannabis operation at Cabramatta.
The older man was charged with obstructing a police search warrant and drug charges, and released on bail.
Strike Force Raptor is the unit responsible for the police response to Sydney’s gang activities.
In November, it was believed a gang war could erupt in Sydney after a cocaine shipment worth $100million went missing, leading to a kidnapping.
Tensions were already growing in the south west after the 44-year-old brother of jailed crime boss Basam Hamzy was shot dead outside his Condell Park home on October 19.
Mejid Hamzy’s execution had police fearing retaliation attacks and led to a flood of police presence in the area.
The shooting by two gunman followed a brawl the previous week between members linked to Hamzy’s notorious Brothers 4 Life gang and an associate of the Alameddine crime family.
Police previously said that brawl was likely over the rights to drug distribution that then dramatically escalated.
Strike Force Raptor (pictured, stock image), is an elite NSW Police unit responsible for 11 arrests in mid April – all said to be connected to the warring Hamzy and Alameddine crime families
NSW Police Strike Force Raptor searches found prohibited drugs including cocaine and cannabis
