Five men arrested from Sydney to Dubai as seven-year investigation smashes crime syndicate

Police will allege that the men were involved to varying degrees in the MDMA and methylamphetamine.

Around 7am on Tuesday detectives executed multiple search warrants at a home in Baulkham Hills and two business premises at Badgerys Creek.

Mario Lang, aged 57, was arrested at Baulkham Hills and taken to Castle Hill police station, where he was charged with conspiring to import a commercial quantity of drugs.

Around the same time 34-year-old Deniz Kanmez was arrested at Muswellbrook police station and charged with drug supply, knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal group.

A third man, Frank Farrugia, 36, was also arrested at the five-star Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour hotel and subsequently charged with drug supply, knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime and directing the activities of a criminal group.

All three men did not apply for bail on Tuesday. They will next appear before a court on August 11.

A search warrant was also executed at a business at Altair Place, Jamisontown, in Sydney’s west in connection with the NSW Crime Commission Criminal Assets Recovery Act.

Two of the five men – aged 34 and 37 – were arrested in Dubai last week. Both men are understood to be Australians who were living in the United Arab Emirates.

They were arrested by Dubai police after detectives applied for arrest warrants in January, before Interpol red notices were issued this month. Police will seek to extradite the men to Australia.

Tuesday’s raids were extensive and involved officers from the public order and riot squad, north west metropolitan region enforcement squad, the dog unit, traffic and highway patrol command and Australian Border Force investigators.

It takes the number of people arrested by Strike Force Millstream investigators in Sydney to 19, with 16 people previously charged over their alleged roles in illicit activities.