Paul DeMarco and former bikie Sam Ibrahim and his sister arrested in dawn raids in Sydney and Illawarra

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

Rose Tattoo drummer Paul DeMarco has been charged over a gun sales syndicate in NSW.



Former bikie boss Sam Ibrahim and his younger sister Maha Sayour were also arrested over the alleged syndicate during a series of dawn raids in Sydney and the Illawarra region on Tuesday morning.

DeMarco, 55, was arrested by officers from NSW's heavily armed tactical operations unit at Windsor about 6.15am.

He is due to appear at Blacktown local court on Tuesday afternoon, with police alleging he is one of three “significant players” in an organised syndicate selling illegal firearms in western Sydney.

Ibrahim, 45, from Greystanes, and Sayour, 43, from Wentworthville, were also expected to face similar allegations at Blacktown local court on Tuesday.

Ibrahim's solicitor, Brett Galloway, said his client was unlikely to make a bail application.

“I've not yet seen the facts ... These are serious charges and these things need to be given great consideration,” Galloway told Fairfax.

There was a lengthy police investigation, in which an undercover detective infiltrated the alleged gun sales syndicate in October and bought 13 firearms.

As part of the same investigation, dozens of police raided six properties in western Sydney and in Warilla, south of Wollongong, at 6.15am on Tuesday and seized five more guns.

The 18 seized weapons, which included an M1 military assault rifle, shotguns, semi-automatic pistols and bullets, were being examined to see if they were used in any shootings in Sydney over the past three years.

“When you look at some of the guns, you shake your head and wonder what that firepower would do if it got into the wrong hands,” assistant commissioner Denis Clifford said.

“This will no doubt put a significant dent in the organised sale of illegal firearms in western Sydney, but we're sure there's a lot more out there.”

He expects there will be more arrests over the alleged syndicate.

The 13 guns bought in October were all purchased in western Sydney, although police believe the sales syndicate also operated in the Illawarra region.

The M1 assault rifle is a military-issued gun and cannot be legally bought by licensed gun owners.