John Ibrahim and his business partner Margaret Staltaro. Fairfax Media has been told the 17 arrests relate to two organised syndicates that had been flooding Sydney with drugs for many, many years. "This is only the beginning," AFP Assistant Commissioner Neil Gaughan said. "We are aware that there are other Australians, organised criminals, who operate in other parts of the world. We will one day come knocking on your door." The common link between the two syndicates is understood to have allegedly been Michael Ibrahim. "The best way to do that is to attack the top of the tree and we'll bring the tree down," Mr Gaughan said of the smashing of the syndicate. "We'll take the fight offshore and we're going to bring the men to justice."

Police search John Ibrahim's Dover Heights home in Sydney. Credit:Janie Barrett The arrests follow an almost two-year investigation, known as Operation Veyda, which has also resulted in the seizure of 1.8 tonnes of ecstasy, 136 kilograms of cocaine, 15 kilograms of ice and $5.5 million in cash. All of those drugs were destined for the Sydney market. Michael (left) and Fadi Ibrahim, who spent three weeks in a coma after he was ambushed by a gunman outside his Castle Cove home in 2009. Credit:Edwina Pickles "I think it's an outstanding success for law enforcement in general," NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Mal Lanyon said. "The level of criminality exhibited by some of the people, and certainly some of the figures that have been arrested today, are of great significance to the NSW police and to law enforcement generally.

"It's a great thing for law enforcement today that we have been able to bring these people to justice." Acquitted on appeal: Mustapha Dib. Credit:Jeffrey Smith The arrests in Dubai are seen as significant because Australian criminal networks have long viewed the Gulf state as a place to do business, and hide, out of the reach of law enforcement. "I think there is a perception by Australian criminal syndicates that they can operate in certain countries and be out of the reach of Australian law enforcement," Mr Gaughan said. "This is a very clear message that places like Dubai and the UAE more broadly are working with law enforcement to bring these people to justice. This is another example of Australian law enforcement working across cultures." Ahmad "Rock" Ahmad of the notorious Ahmad crime family. Credit:Nick Moir

It is understood one syndicate involved Elmir and his associates Arif and Dib. The other is believed to have involved the notorious Ahmad family, and Ahmad "Rock" Ahmad is among those arrested in Sydney on Tuesday. Police search the home of John Ibrahim on Tuesday morning. Credit:AAP The Elmirs and the Ahmads have been involved in a bloody feud for more than a year that has resulted in four deaths, including that of Rock Ahmad's brother, standover man Walid "Wally" Ahmad at Bankstown Centro in April 2016. Michael Ibrahim and Fadi Ibrahim were among the mourners at Wally Ahmad's funeral.

Steven Fawaz Elmir, 29, left Australia a few days after he was at the scene of a fatal shooting in Condell Park, in Sydney's south-west. Michael Ibrahim is expected to be charged with multiple offences relating to conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of drugs and money laundering. Police will apply to extradite him, his brother Fadi, as well as Elmir, Arif and Dib from Dubai. Michael Ibrahim was released from jail in 2014 after serving just over six years for the manslaughter of Robin Nassour, brother of Fat Pizza comedian George Nassour. Since his release, Michael Ibrahim has made numerous trips to Dubai, even posting photos of himself sitting in business class during a flight.

It is understood that, if convicted, he would face life imprisonment. Elmir fled Sydney after his brother-in-law was killed in a shootout with the Ahmad family at Condell Park and is believed to have been living in Dubai. He is alleged to have been working with Arif, a former airconditioning serviceman, who has long been the right-hand man to wanted drug smuggler Hakan Ayik and Dib. Known as "Fairy", Dib was released from jail in 2016 after his conviction for killing school boy Edward Lee was quashed by the High Court. He was part of the infamous Telopea St gang that wrought havoc through the south-west suburbs in the late '90s.

Loading Arrested in Sydney was their associate and Lone Wolf bikie Hassan "Faks" Fakhreddine. Fakhreddine is a former concreter with a significant gambling problem. He was released from Lithgow prison in 2011 after serving eight years for running a heroin supply ring in southern Sydney.