Sydney police raids: John Ibrahim's brothers Michael and Fadi arrested

Nick Ralston, Ava Benny-Morrison

Published: August 8 2017 - 11:29AM

Two brothers of Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim, Michael Ibrahim and Fadi Ibrahim, have been arrested in Dubai as police smash an alleged long-running organised crime syndicate.

The pair are among 14 people arrested, including John's son, Daniel Ibrahim, and underworld figures Mustapha Dib, who was also arrested in Dubai, and Rock Ahmad, who was taken into custody at his Bankstown home.

The arrests relate to long-running syndicates that have been allegedly smuggling drugs and tobacco into Sydney for decades.

More than 25 homes are also being raided, including the Dover Heights house belonging to John Ibrahim.

A number of police officers could be seen entering the house on Tuesday morning, and even searching through the property's roof gutters. John was not arrested during the operation.

Australian Federal Police and NSW Police carried out the dawn raids at properties across Sydney.

The operation began on Tuesday at several addresses in Punchbowl, Bankstown, Arncliffe and Dover Heights. Telopea Street in Punchbowl has been closed.

The searches related to "a number of separate, ongoing criminal investigations", an AFP spokesman said.

"Some of these relate to AFP investigations; some of these relate to joint agency investigations," the AFP said in a statement.

A NSW police spokesperson said a number of search warrants had been issued.

The raids are being conducted by the Middle Eastern Crime Squad, NSW Joint Organised Crime Group, Australian Federal Police and NSW Police.

John Ibrahim, a colourful Sydney nightlife figure, has owned or controlled more than 40 licensed venues between 1988 and 2014.

The family has had the "dubious and unwanted honour" of watching their lives play out on the front pages of newspapers, he wrote in his recently released autobiography, Last King of the X.

The brothers have also been tied up in shootings and other attacks over the years.

Michael Ibrahim was hit in the shoulder by one of a number of bullets fired at him on his way home in Sydney's CBD in January 2015.

Fadi, John's second-youngest brother, also survived a near-fatal shooting outside a home in Sydney's north in June 2009.

Dib walked free from jail in February 2016 after his conviction for the murder of a young woman was quashed.

He was handed a sentence of at least 30 years in 2012 for the execution-style killing, but three judges found there was reasonable doubt he was responsible.

Ahmad is the brother of slain gangland kingpin Wally Ahmad, who was gunned down on the rooftop car park of Bankstown Central shopping centre in April 2016, one of a string of bloody executions that rocked the city over the past 16 months.

With AAP

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/sydney-police-raids-john-ibrahims-brothers-michael-and-fadi-arrested-20170807-gxrca3.html