{"id":508647,"date":"2026-02-28T00:58:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T00:58:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/508647\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T00:58:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T00:58:11","slug":"documents-reveal-how-thwarted-kidnapping-led-to-billion-dollar-sydney-drug-bust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/508647\/","title":{"rendered":"Documents reveal how thwarted kidnapping led to billion-dollar Sydney drug bust"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was one of the biggest drug hauls ever uncovered by NSW Police, but if it was not for a nosy neighbour, $1 billion worth of cocaine could have flooded Sydney’s streets.<\/p>\n

The story of how police seized more than 700 kilograms of cocaine in a suburban apartment last year has been unearthed in court documents obtained by the ABC.<\/p>\n

Documents showed an alleged crew of aspiring drug thieves spent weeks planning a heist on a safe house, only to be undone before they even got into the unit. \u00a0<\/p>\n

The details came to light after material outlining the case was tendered to the Supreme Court this month.<\/p>\n

\"Ryde<\/p>\n

Several of the packaged blocks seized by police had logos, these ones were sealed with a sticker showing the bitcoin logo. (Supplied)<\/p>\n

On December 18, 2023, police arrived at Blaxland Road, Ryde and uncovered the trove of drugs.<\/p>\n

Cocaine was stuffed in sports bags, and cupboards were filled to the brim with taped bricks showing the drug’s manufacturer or origin \u2014 it was one of the biggest hauls in police history.<\/p>\n

“The seizure of that quantity of drugs is unseen,” the then Robbery and Serious Crime Squad commander Joe Doueihi said shortly after the arrests.<\/p>\n

Loading…<\/p>\n

The apartment inside the Ryde complex had allegedly been rented by Hussein Habeeb three weeks before.<\/p>\n

Mr Habeeb is facing drug supply charges after police became aware he was the target of a kidnap plot and linked him to the Blaxland Road property.<\/p>\n

Police claim that within days of Mr Habeeb renting the unit to allegedly store drugs, a rival crime group caught wind of the cocaine stash.<\/p>\n

The group would allegedly go as far as flying a drone around the apartment complex to see inside, said police documents tendered to court.<\/p>\n

\"Habeeb<\/p>\n

Hussein Habeeb, 24, who NSW Police say was the target of an attempted kidnapping in Sydney in December, 2023. (Supplied)<\/p>\n

‘All hands on deck’<\/p>\n

In texts obtained by detectives from an encrypted group chat, those planning the heist allegedly discovered there were “500 bricks” inside the apartment.<\/p>\n

Over the following weeks, police allege the men organised to buy smaller amounts of the drug from Mr Habeeb, watching from a distance as the ‘dead drop’ took place.<\/p>\n

Police have charged the group’s alleged ringleader, Brandon Maseuli, with organising to kidnap Mr Habeeb and complete the heist.<\/p>\n

A forensic search of devices seized by police connected to the case revealed the group were allegedly being instructed by wanted accused underworld assassin Anthony Pele.<\/p>\n

Mr Pele is wanted by NSW Police for the murder of Ahmed Al-Azzam, who was killed accidentally in July 2023 after being mistaken as a gangland rival.<\/p>\n

Police believe he fled the country shortly after and remains overseas.<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Anthony Pele, who is on the run overseas and wanted on a warrant for murder by the NSW Police. (Supplied: NSW Police)<\/p>\n

Another man was also left a quadriplegic after police claim Mr Pele fired on multiple cars on a Greenacre street, mistaking them for members of the Comanchero bikie gang.<\/p>\n

Using the handle “TOPBOY” on encrypted messaging app Threema five months later, messages tendered to court show the Haouchar crime family associate directing the men to the Ryde safe house from overseas.<\/p>\n

TOPBOY: All hands on deck the next coming days taking shifts on this c**t I have big feeling its in his unit or the storage downstairs but we just need bit more eyes and we hit when comfortable<\/p>\n

What you think USO ? Lmk what plan and ideas you have<\/p>\n

BRANDON MASEULI: Yeah I think that to [sic] or he could have a stash van down there<\/p>\n

In basement<\/p>\n

Every unit has two car spots<\/p>\n

If next to his car is a van I’m taking in<\/p>\n

I will brake [sic] into the van if is one there<\/p>\n

A drone and more homework<\/p>\n

Hours later on December 13, 2023, Mr Pele starts another group chat on Threema, where police allege Mr Maseuli sets a plan in motion to kidnap Mr Habeeb.<\/p>\n

\"Habeeb<\/p>\n

Target of the kidnapping Mr Habeeb was eventually arrested and charged with drug supply offences.\u00a0 (Supplied)<\/p>\n

BRANDON MASEULI: But this my best bet to drone and sus it I send pics to use that way we have 3 brains working on it.<\/p>\n

If get that house I will nap the dog if nothing there but idc I can do more homework so we don’t f**k it<\/p>\n

I will keep going there<\/p>\n

And I will place tracker just need to set it up it’s a funking mission.<\/p>\n

TOPBOY: We get the whole team on taking shifts on him this could be make or break we will Never know what his [sic] sitting on until we hit his stash<\/p>\n

Let’s update the team in the Jobs groupchat and relay this job to the brothers and get as much of the brothers on ball to take shifts and note take<\/p>\n

The next day, messages exchanged by the group on Threema captured by police and used in evidence tendered in court showed attempts to monitor Mr Habeeb’s car in Ryde.<\/p>\n

Police say the following messages took place on December 17 between Mr Maseuli and Moumin Hamouda, who allegedly used the handle “SAVAGE68”.<\/p>\n

Mr Hamouda was charged with conspiring to take and detain Mr Habeeb, break and enter, and armed break and enter over his alleged role in the heist.<\/p>\n

He wept from his holding cell earlier this month after being granted bail on the charges by the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n

BRANDON MASEULI: Nah I get everyone to jump on this today and we talk I want Monday 5am sitting off and from there I want use [sic] nap this c**t and take him somewhere and then tell him where the f**k are the bricks 123 and then use [sic] can go through the unit with his keys without making a big noise and headache cause don’t want neighborhood to hear any noise got to do it smooth and quite.<\/p>\n

SAVAGE68: good plan I tried to explain that to little man but he don’t want anything to do with grabbing himb<\/p>\n

BRANDON MASEULI: If we nap him its easy no noise and we can work longer image there is 500 bricks that’s easy30min of boys working to taken it out the unit you can’t do that if use [sic] just run in.<\/p>\n

The next morning, the men allegedly sat in place outside the Ryde apartment.<\/p>\n

According to court documents, a neighbour in the complex called Triple Zero (000) to report three or four masked men entering the underground garage.<\/p>\n

The same resident took a video, now in police evidence, showing a masked man guiding a Toyota Yaris down into the car park.<\/p>\n

Minutes later the following exchange allegedly took place between Liam Goodhew and Youssef Rima under the handles “Sammyboy18” and “Sharpshooter” respectively.<\/p>\n

Shortly after the messages, the men were arrested.<\/p>\n

Sharpshooter: Brother cops pulled up on us<\/p>\n

Youssef Rima: What<\/p>\n

Sharpshooter: They raiding us. We getting done<\/p>\n

Those in the Yaris \u2014 Mr Hamouda, Elden Huric, Bilal Gheneim and Liam Goodhew \u2014 would be charged with conspiracy to kidnap, and armed break and enter.<\/p>\n

All have pleaded not guilty and will face a District Court trial later this year.<\/p>\n

Youssef Rima was charged with aggravated break and enter.<\/p>\n

Soon after, police stepped inside the apartment and uncovered packaged blocks of cocaine all around the unassuming unit in Sydney’s north.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It was one of the biggest drug hauls ever uncovered by NSW Police, but if it was not…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":508648,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[255116,255117,64,63,255118,255122,42895,133129,255115,255124,255120,44,4277,255119,255114,670,255121,255123],"class_list":["post-508647","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-1bn-drug-bust","tag-700-kilograms-of-cocaine","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-blaxland-road-ryde-drug-bust","tag-brandon-maseuli","tag-cocaine","tag-comanchero-bikie-gang","tag-drug-bust-ryde","tag-haouchar-crime-family-associate","tag-hussein-habeeb","tag-news","tag-nsw-police","tag-robbery-and-serious-crime-squad-commander-joe-doueihi","tag-ryde","tag-sydney","tag-threema","tag-wanted-underworld-assassin-anthony-pele"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/508647","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=508647"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/508647\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/508648"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=508647"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=508647"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=508647"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}