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According to the police statement of facts filed in court,Mr Baluch communicated extensively on the platform An0m,which was trusted by thousands of organised crime figures butcovertly controlled and monitored by police as part of an elaborate worldwide sting.
On May 20,he allegedly said to an associate “all come to me”,indicating he would be responsible for all 900 kilograms of the drug shipment.
Five days later,he allegedly told the associate he “will move 500 before I go”,a suggestion he wanted to offload the bulk of the cargo to the market before carrying out plans to travel overseas.
On May 27,he allegedly confirmed to the person the drugs were safe,and they congratulated each other on the apparent success.
“We control market,” he said,according to the police transcripts.
The Range Rover,subsequently seized by police,thought to be the vehicle he was travelling in after disappearing.
On June 1,he allegedly exchanged messages with another associate about the drugs,saying he had finished at the gym and was waiting for an accomplice to “release bricks[of cocaine] for distro”.
Allegedly discussing the impact of the cocaine shipment on illicit drug market prices,Mr Baluch told another associate:“I can pass 30 million of my own money.”
The day before,he told one associate he was in a position to pay for 500 kilograms himself and stated,“I have money to cover the load”,the police documents allege.
The alleged syndicate being financed by Mr Baluch involved accused drug importer Mende Trajkoski,who came to the attention of authorities for gambling$166 million as a high roller at Sydney’s Star casino since 2007,despite working as a part-time courier.
A family property on the northern beaches now stands to be forfeited after it was offered up as $4 million worth of security in his successful bail application.
“He has lost the family home to the government which has been seized and forfeited to the Crown,” Mr Critchlow said on Wednesday.
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Mr Critchlow said it was a “live theory” that Mr Baluch boarded a charter flight at Bankstown airport,possibly flying to Melbourne,but there were a range of theories circulating as police mounted the “classic manhunt”.
The court’s decision to grant Mr Baluch bail on Thursday last week attracted criticism from NSW Police Minister David Elliott.
“This guy was our Pablo Escobar. This guy was part of an international racket with levels of drugs we haven’t seen before. And the police warned the court he was a bad guy,” he told 2GB on Wednesday morning.
“To say I’m infuriated would be an understatement.”
Mr Baluch’s ankle monitor was removed around 10.30pm on Monday. By the time police detected the tampering and rushed to the location,they found the device abandoned on the side of the road near Bayview Golf Course.
Police asked members of the community to call triple zero with any information and not to approach Mr Baluch if they see him.
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