It is the oil-rich Middle Eastern monarchy that has long attracted fraudsters, fugitives and shady characters.

But the United Arab Emirates' status as a safe haven for criminals may have been smashed following the arrest of five Sydney men allegedly behind the importation of 1.9 tonnes of narcotics.

Mick and Fadi Ibrahim, brothers of Kings Cross nightclub tsar John Ibrahim, were arrested after a dinner with associates in Dubai on Tuesday as part of a massive organised crime operation across three continents.

Their dining companions – underworld gang member Steven Fawaz Elmir, infamous Telopea Street boy Mustapha Dib and heroin smuggler Hakan Arif – were also arrested by Dubai's anti-narcotics police department, who worked in close tandem with Australian police.