Police target drug accuseds jewellery cars property worth up to 15m

They travelled the world in luxury and lived a life of opulence with fast cars, property and jewellery.

But having fled Sydney as long ago as 2015, Sydney men Benjamin Neil Pitt, 38, and Matthew John Battah, 36, arrived on home soil in handcuffs and in the company of Australian Federal Police officers on Wednesday night after being extradited from Dubai.

One of the two men, aged 36 and 38, charged over their alleged involvement in importing 2.8 tonnes of ice.Credit:NSW Police

The men, who police allege sit at the top of a drug syndicate’s food chain, were charged over their alleged involvement in importing 2.8 tonnes of ice, with an estimated street value of $150 million, brought in on multiple shipments between 2013 and 2014.

Now the Herald can reveal that authorities have moved to seize assets valued at up to $15 million linked to the pair.

The pair are the latest to be charged over the ice importation and face life in prison if convicted. Nearly 30 others have been charged or jailed in relation to the same syndicate.

In December 2013, detectives from the organised crime squad established Strike Force Millstream to investigate the large-scale supply of prohibited drugs in NSW, which police allege had links to the Lone Wolf outlaw motorcycle gang.

The Herald can reveal that Mr Pitt has previously had assets in Australia frozen, including a property in Terrigal. Last November, NSW Police and the NSW Crime Commission sought assistance from the Attorney-General’s office to have authorities seize further assets.

Police have also been investigating property sales by Mr Battah to family members.

Prosecutors have sought to freeze assets and have attended residences to seize jewellery and vehicles. The total value of the properties under the names of Mr Battah and family members sought to be restrained is approximately $12 million.

Police allege they foiled an attempted jailbreak by the two men last year, when they became aware of a significant amount of money being offered to help carry out the plan via the secretly FBI-controlled An0m network. Following the incident, the two men were locked down in maximum security until they were extradited.

Police will address the media following the extradition of two men from Dubai, marking the resolution of an eight-year investigation into the activities of a transnational criminal syndicate.Credit:Police Media

Mr Pitt and Mr Battah were arrested as part of a co-ordinated international police operation, with another three men charged after raids across Sydney in June last year. Investigators said the operation was brought forward by three months after they learned the pair had made plans to leave Dubai, which “forced their hand”.

Some of the biggest players in the syndicate are understood to be old school friends from a western Sydney high school.

The syndicate allegedly dealt with proceeds of crime worth more than $54 million, allowing them to travel the world in luxury and live a life of opulence.

The drugs from Germany and the Netherlands were allegedly imported to Australia concealed in shipping containers. Investigators say the syndicate operated like a pyramid scheme, and they claim Mr Pitt and Mr Battah were among those directing it.

Police are championing the extraditions as a significant message of deterrence to Australian expatriates involved in international organised crime.

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said investigations led police to Mr Pitt and Mr Battah in 2015, and the pair were living an “opulent life” in Dubai until Australian authorities caught up with them.

“These guys are at the top of the food chain, they were involved in the syndicate components controlling the imports from Africa and Europe. They are key players,” he said.

The men faced Central Local Court on Thursday where they did not apply for bail and it was formally refused. The matters were adjourned to November 17. They face three counts of conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, conspiracy to traffic a commercial quantity of a controlled drug, and conspiracy to deal in proceeds of crime.

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