SYDNEY: Mohammed Skaf is back before the courts, this time accused of helping run a drug supply outfit in the same stretch of south-west Sydney where his name has carried weight for more than two decades.
NSW Police say the 42-year-old was arrested in Greenacre late Wednesday night after detectives moved on an alleged cocaine and illicit drug supply network. By Thursday morning, Skaf was facing 24 charges, including large commercial drug supply, ongoing supply, dealing with proceeds of crime, and knowingly directing the activities of a criminal group.
The allegations are blunt. Police say they found cash and cocaine during the arrest and a nearby search, then seized more money, more cocaine, MDMA, phones and a vehicle during a later search at a Greenacre home. Across the operation, police allege they seized close to $250,000 in cash.
Two other people, a 51-year-old man arrested in Bankstown and a 54-year-old woman arrested in Newington, were also charged. Police allege they found a ballistic vest, baton and steroids at the Bankstown unit, and ketamine and MDMA at the Newington unit. All three were refused bail.
Skaf’s arrest lands hard because of the history attached to his name. As a teenager, he was jailed over the 2000 Sydney gang rapes, a case that left deep scars and made the Skaf name notorious across Australia. He was released on parole in 2021 after serving about 21 years. His sentence expired in 2024.
Now the question before the court is not the old case, but a fresh and serious set of drug allegations. Police say the investigation is ongoing. Skaf was due to appear in Bankstown Local Court on Thursday.
Sources: NSW Police statements as reported by The Guardian Australia, The New Daily and AAP.
