Kings Cross is now called Little Lebanon. It wasn't too long ago that it was under Jewish control by Abe Saffron, using independent local private security firms led by Lenny McPherson – the Australian equivalent of the US's Blackwater.

They ruled by means cruel but fair. Like all empires, it fell when those working under its umbrella worked out that they could do a better job, make more money and take the land back to its more traditional owners, in this case the Lebanese.

Louis Bayeh started as a bouncer for Saffron along Darlinghurst Road, the strip of strip clubs from Porkies to The Pink Pussycat.

Saffron was a dictator. Bayeh and his brother Bill and his crew of misfits filled the gaps created by poor policing, ageing crime lords and corruption.

The Bayehs were not a classy act like Saffron and running drugs, prostitution, protection and gambling was far beyond their meagre talents. Like many corporations in the 1980s they diversified by gobbling up random companies and enterprises to increase turnover. But lacking management, the Bayehs fell apart during the gentle probing of the Wood Royal Commission. The Bayeh group of rackets lacked the vital synergy that real diversity requires to succeed.

This is part of the terrifying landscape painted in Blood Money: Bikies, Terrorists and Middle Eastern Gangs, a dirty thumbnail sketch of the past decade of Sydney blue collar crime and its criminals written by 38-year NSW Police veteran Clive Small and journalist-author Tom Gilling. It brings Underbelly up to date in gripping detail and in unbelievable scenes and encounters that you wouldn't believe could happen unless you saw the CCTV footage.

Out of the south-west rode gangs in colourful souped-up WRXs who where born and bred on the sand dunes of Lebanon, who knew that pyramids were permanent because they had a point at the top, which dispersed power downwards in larger and larger amounts, all of which depended on the layers above them for purchase and the layers below them for subsistence and domination. At the lowest level of the pyramid were the drug runners, carrying small amounts at a time, lest they be busted for supply quantities, but enough for users, two or three deals at a time.

In a relatively small time, Kings Cross was patrolled by the Lebanese who collected rents, protection fees, management fees and the like from real merchants, scam merchants and skin merchants.

If one group of Lebanese were jailed, killed or retired, younger and more energetic gangs took their place. In the south-west of Sydney, the now traditional owners entrenched their domination.

Ahmed Fahda declared himself King of Punchbowl. Gang members controlled vehicle and pedestrian traffic along Telopea Street. They waited impatiently to purchase drugs at the drive-through set up by the Telopea Street boys.

The Lebanese are an enterprising, enthusiastic and passionate race. They have lived and thrived – and recently survived being bombed – for hundreds of years, on nothing but their wits and the smell of an oily rag worn by Saudi royalty. They have as much testosterone in their veins as blood. Young Australian-born women get swept up in their pearly smiles, lavish bling, fast cars and live-now-for-tomorrow-we-die-philosophy.

Kings Cross was now Little Lebanon and south-west Sydney was Lebland. The other way emperors fall is if they fall out with each other. The Darwiches and the Razzaks were thousand-year rivals back in the day, in the old country.

Rocket launchers were purchased from the army, through middle men, to aim at feuding family homes or pursuing police, whichever, whatever, came first. On one night, the rocket launchers were dispensed with because the house to be bombed was made of fibro and the rockets would go straight through and, heaven help us, hit an innocent home.

Instead reliable AK47s were used to spray-paint the house with bullet holes, killing two occupants, one a young woman asleep with her lover. The Dawiches were the gang that could not shoot straight although they had enough ammunition to shoot all day and all night. As in all Shakespearean tragedies, the families united briefly when the House of Darwiche, offered Adnan "Eddie" Darwiche's sister Khadige in holy matrimony to Ali Abdul Razzak, and blood ally Ahmed Fahda's sister Donna to Ramzi "Fidel" Aouad.

Inevitably the love turned sour. Eddie swore at Gehad Razzak (born on April Fools' Day, 1979) "to put holes in your head motherf---er, you and your whole family." The bully boys were called in, Crazy Khalid, Biggy Osman, Fidel Aouad and Eddie's best weapons were handed out. They stole a car for the drive-by-shoot-bye-bye-to-the-Razzaks.

Disaster struck. When you steal a car it has no warranty. The steering wheel locked and there were no keys to release it. The car stalled in the middle of the road. Two carloads of Razzaks bore down on the frozen mob. Just in time the lock broke and Eddie's embarrassed team fled with their heads down and their tails between their legs.

Another drive-bye-bye to the Razzaks was planned. This time the stolen car was driven by a complete idiot who hit three parked cars on the way down Razzak's street. This time the shootings went into walls of three of the four units in the block but miraculously no one got hurt. The Razzaks owned the fourth untouched unit in the block.

Not to be made fools of, yet another time the Darwiches stole two cars, loaded for bear and ready to roar and prepared for another attack. Upon approach they spotted an unfamiliar car near Eddie's house. It was full of Razzaks. They pulled up alongside and pointed a rifle at the driver, the Razzak car sped off with the Darwiches in hot pursuit but where Punchbowl Road meets Bouvardia Street, the pursuers suddenly became the pursued when the car did a handbrake turn and its occupants opened fire. Other members of the Razzak crew appeared from behind cars, from front yards and opened fire. The Darwiches were bushwhacked in an ambush of their own making. They were sitting ducks but the Razzaks were also a gang that couldn't shoot straight. Eddie and his crew fled. Police found 11 high-powered rifles and handguns in the vicinity.

Wahib Hannouf was a gun-slinging gangster who managed to shoot himself four times in the stomach, hand and legs, claiming the gun went off by itself once and ricocheted back and forth on the concrete walls and through him. He got $5000 compo from the owner of the gun, informally, without court proceedings, with an apology, according to the law of the jungle/desert.

Darwiche paid $15,000 compo to Bilal Razzak for shooting one of his kidneys out. Meanwhile, no one saw nothing. Eddie ordered Crazy who ordered an underling to shoot Haissam Yassine in the kneecaps, for intruding on a drug run and ripping off one of Eddie's primo drug runners.

Yassine was held down in Punchbowl Park, moving his legs about, refusing to assist in his own kneecapping. The shooter was in a lose-lose situation. Eddie would kill him if he accidentally killed Yassine. Eddie would kill him if he missed. His heart wasn't in it and he finally got a shot off straight into the leg as he dialled triple-0 for an ambulance.

Although I have had the honour of acting for many of Lebanese ethnicity, the portrait paraded of these few in Blood Money is as wrong as suggesting mafia movies like The Godfather are an accurate portrayal of Italian culture.

In Albury where I grew up, much of the main street was owned and operated by Lebanese immigrants who could turn their hand to anything – the haberdashery store of the Abakhairs, the clothes stores of the Nesires, the Fine Female Fashions of Farrah's, the auction house bargains of Batrouny's and so on. This home truth is still true today.

Despite all the tales of Blood Money, the cold Irish stew and English roast that were Australia are now infinitely more interesting and richer with the chilli, garlic and spices of Lebanon

 Edit Post

Jamaica's reluctance to hand over an alleged crime boss is straining relations with the United States, which is questioning the Caribbean nation's reliability as an ally against drug trafficking.The two governments have been negotiating over Christopher "Dudus" Coke since the U.S. requested his extradition in August to face arms and drug trafficking charges in New YorkCoke, 40, the alleged leader of the Shower Posse gang, faces federal charges in New York City of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana and conspiracy to illegally traffic in firearms. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
U.S. authorities allege that under Coke's leadership, Shower Posse members have sold marijuana and crack cocaine in the New York area and elsewhere and funneled profits back to him.

 Edit Post

The jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court found him guilty after just over four hours of deliberation and a six day trial. Disconsolate members of Byrne’s family were directed by Judge Frank O’Donnell to leave the court after the jury returned their verdict.Judge O'Donnell remanded Byrne in custody until sentencing next month. In denying the bail application made on behalf of Byrne, Judge O’Donnell said that he was a man who had entered the witness box and gave evidence “that flies in the face of all logic”.He thanked the jury of seven men and five women for their service and said that they had taken “great care” in doing their duty. He said that the experience of the jury may remind them that, despite public criticism of the judicial system, they would now no doubt wish for a trial by jury should any member of their family find themselves before a court. Byrne, a self-employed tiler, had pleaded not guilty to possession of 32 kilogrammes of heroin for sale or supply in the Culmore Road area of Palmerstown on January 15, 2008.His trial heard from several detectives involved in the operation who said they saw Byrne collect the van containing the heroin before he parked it and began to move the drugs into a nearby park. Detective Garda Kieran Sheehan told prosecuting counsel, Mr Sean Gillane SC, that he was part of the operation observing Byrne in the Clondalkin area when at around 5.25pm he saw a silver Volkswagen van drive past him and down a laneway off the Culmore Road.Another detective followed the van and Det Gda Sheehan got out and walked in their direction. He said when he got closer he saw the accused standing at the rear of the van.He went into a garden and approached Byrne for a closer look and said he saw him taking packages from the van and putting them in a plastic bag. He said a Fiat Punto then arrived and parked beside the van. A woman got out and took something from the car's boot and then her and Byrne crossed paths. Byrne continued walking down a laneway carrying two plastic bags. A detective drove his car at speed up the laneway past Byrne and Det Gda Sheehan identified himself as an armed garda and told him to stop.Byrne dropped the bags, causing some of the packages to fall out, before running. The detective drew his firearm and gave chase down the laneway and into a park.
He said he saw Byrne throw his phone towards a stream as he ran before he lost track of him at a gate. Two other gardaí joined Det Gda Sheehan and they began a search of the area. Byrne was found hiding in a wooded area nearby and arrested.Giving evidence in his own defence, Byrne said he would not identify the man who he claims he lent the van to or say where he lives or give a description of him because he fears for his family's safety.Mr Byrne told Mr Gillane that he had lent the van to a friend of his brother and when he went to pick it up he saw the drugs in the back and panicked. He said he was trying to get rid of them when gardaí moved in on him and chased him through the park.When asked by Mr Gillane why he would not identify the man he lent the van to he responded, "you don't have to walk outside this court and fear for your life."
He denied a suggestion by counsel that this "six million dollar man" was a "ghost" or a "figment of his imagination."

 Edit Post

Scott Rush will face his final appeal against the death sentence. His Indonesian lawyer, Robert Khuana, is optimistic the judicial review, called a PK, or Reconsideration, which failed in the Supreme Court in 2007, will this time save Rush from the firing squad. Leading a six-member team, Khuana will appear before a different panel of judges. He believes a sentence reduction, with Rush serving 10 to 15 years, is achievable.Khuana will call on three witnesses, two of whom have not so far been named. But in an about-face, courier Renae Lawrence, who is serving 20 years, has agreed to be a witness. Her lawyer, Anggia Lubis Browne, yesterday confirmed Lawrence would testify in court that Rush was just a courier in a bid to prevent his execution. It is not known whether the other witnesses are fellow Bali Nine inmates."I believe Rush was just a courier," says Browne. "Renae feels very strongly about it." Lawrence had said in January she would provide a statement but would not go to court.If the review fails, Rush's last avenue is to seek clemency from Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is not known to be merciful to drug traffickers. Kevin Rudd could also make a clemency plea to the President, who is visiting Australia today. It is likely the death sentences of Rush and Bali Nine ringleaders Chan and Sukumaran, who will lodge appeals soon after Rush, will be discussed.Khuana believes it's an auspicious time for discussing the Australians' fate."I think there will be a discussion between the two leaders about the death penalty policy," he says. "Maybe this will impact on the Australians in Indonesia. This is a good time for SBY to change the death penalty."Rush's sentence remains an anomaly. Of the six couriers arrested at Denpasar airport in April 2005 by Indonesian authorities, Rush, who had 1.3kg of heroin strapped to his body, is the only one now sentenced to execution. Four others, Si Yi Chen, Matthew Norman, Michael Czugaj and Martin Stephens, are serving life sentences and Lawrence 20 years.
Khuana will argue that Rush was merely a courier while three others of the nine were "organisers" -- Chan, Sukumaran and Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen, "the recruiter", whose death sentence was commuted to life in 2008."We are sure the judge made a big mistake," says Khuana. "We will argue this is . . . a mistake. Our question is why was the decision different for Scott compared with the other five couriers? Why did they apply the same facts but impose a different punishment?"On the day I first visit Rush in Kerobokan, he looks pallid, his skin almost translucent. From a distance he appears ill, but his wan appearance is a result of spending his time indoors.He is worried about the romantic bond he forged with Melburnian Laura Pemberton, who started visiting him in 2008. They pledged their "eternal love" for each other. Now he's angry and upset that the love affair seems to be over."I had a lot of girls back home . . . I've put my heart on the line. I wanted someone to see me for who I am."He wants her to return mementos he gave her that are precious to him. He mentions some rosary beads, a football jersey. He has tried desperately to contact her.
"I want her to come back," he says, but he feels powerless. "I pushed her away (from media attention) for her own safety. I thought we had a good thing going. I've let all my dignity go. I'm going to end up being a hollow person, I'm going to be an arsehole."Pemberton, speaking by phone from Melbourne, will not comment on the relationship. Asked if she would go to Bali to see Rush, she says: "I will be there for him."
Asked again in November about her feelings for Rush, she says: "I still care about him a great deal. He's free to contact me at any time -- tell him that. Whenever he needs me, I'll be there.""When is his appeal coming up?" she asks. "I'll be there for him then."
Was there a cooling in their relationship?"A lot of stuff has happened. But I never wouldn't be there for him. But he's on death row -- and they're all going to die," she shouts.
It was Rush's father who first alerted Australian Federal Police to the smuggling operation, in an attempt to stop his son going. There have been recriminations from other Bali Nine members. . . . "Everyone did bear a grudge but either way we would have been caught. But if we had been caught in Australia we'd be out of jail by now," Stephens said last week.Asked if Bali Nine members had grown close after sharing five years in Kerobokan, Stephens says: "We're not friends, we weren't in the beginning and we're not now. I don't trust anyone in here. I only talk to my girlfriend . . . When we get out . . . I'm sure we'll never see each other again."

 Edit Post