1 00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:04,440 Speaker 1: If you want to piss off local police, deal drugs 2 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:05,880 Speaker 1: and call your business cartel. 3 00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:09,520 Speaker 2: They wheeled the fridge out, shifted that out of the way, 4 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 2: and there was a secret wall, secret door, whatever you 5 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 2: want to call it, and there was the entire stash 6 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:18,920 Speaker 2: of cocaine. 7 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 3: It all seems very sons of anarchy, doesn't it. Just 8 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 3: sort of the small town with their crew of family 9 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 3: miscreants going about the place doing miscreant things. While Andrew's 10 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:34,480 Speaker 3: away on assignment. It's Johnny Burton, producer of the show, 11 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 3: stepping in again as host. But with me today we 12 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 3: have two of the finest crime reporters and the entire 13 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 3: Herald's unused for that being Mark Butler and Reagan Hodge, 14 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 3: and we're here to talk about the story of Josh Eddie. 15 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 3: Who he is, what he did, and how he became undone. 16 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 3: So start off Mark, who is young Josh. 17 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: Josh Eddie is a former member of the Mongols. He 18 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: grew up mostly in the town of Cobram, up on 19 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: the Murray. He was known to be trouble, left school early, 20 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 1: did a lot of different jobs, but probably wouldn't stand 21 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:23,480 Speaker 1: out as the kind of guy who would bring organized 22 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 1: crime to a country center like his. So in twenty nineteen, 23 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 1: and I'm not sure whether he was with one of 24 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: the feeder clubs prior to this, but in twenty nineteen 25 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:39,320 Speaker 1: he joins the Mongols, and obviously that's good for making 26 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 1: connections in the world of organized crime, and clearly the 27 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 1: Mongols see him as a conduit for selling drugs in 28 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: a reasonably large market through the north of the state. 29 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 1: I think some of these activities extended down to a 30 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 1: chuker further south and drugs were being moved into state. 31 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: There was evidence of activity extending to Queensland and a 32 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 1: major bust of a ten kilo shipment heading to Perth 33 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 1: involving these guys. So Eddie sets himself up. Suddenly he's 34 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: got a lot of money. He's running a business called Cartel, 35 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 1: which was basically a car wash we get your car 36 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,799 Speaker 1: details cleaning up in more ways than one. So he's 37 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: cruising around town in a real fancy late model Mercedes. 38 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 1: He's got the chunky jewelry. He's running this business called cartel. 39 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:41,360 Speaker 1: Some of the local folk have some most intimidating experiences 40 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:45,640 Speaker 1: with people wearing cartel hoodies. It starts to get to 41 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: the local police they think we really need to do 42 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: something about this. A detective sergeant called Marcus Boyd from 43 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: up there, a local detective sergeant who was experienced in 44 00:02:56,680 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 1: dealing with organized crime entities previously contacts the Echo Task Force, 45 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:06,919 Speaker 1: the Echo Task Forces, the Anti Organized Chronlin Task Force 46 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:10,800 Speaker 1: in Melbourne, yep. And they go from there. 47 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:13,960 Speaker 2: And for those who aren't familiar with Cobram, it's up 48 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 2: on the Murray River. Population of just under six thousand. 49 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:19,640 Speaker 2: It's really a small country town. 50 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 3: So let's just go through that. So you've got Josh, 51 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 3: she's got his cartel, which you know, a great name. 52 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 3: It's like Flowers by Irene from the Simpsons or something 53 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 3: really in terms of a thing. They've got the hoodies. 54 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 3: They're going around the locals of Cobram and making them 55 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 3: feel a little bit upset about the world a little bit. 56 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 3: And is this by intimidation or are they going into 57 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 3: various businesses, you know, making them an off that they 58 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 3: can't refuse. So there were a few. 59 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 2: Dust ups around Cobram, and they occurred in some of 60 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 2: the takeaway joints by some people wearing the cartel merchandise. 61 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 2: So they would advertise their hoodies, T shirts all that 62 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 2: sort of gear with the cartel merch and he'd have 63 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 2: a handful of people getting around town wearing them after 64 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 2: a few incidents of little bust ups, nothing major, but 65 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 2: they were just little confrontations around town. That was one 66 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 2: element to the police starting to raise their eyebrows at 67 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 2: this crew who were growing and growing in this small 68 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 2: country town. 69 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 1: If you want to piss off local police, deal drugs 70 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 1: and call your business cartel, I mean, it's really provocative 71 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: branding which they probably would not be inclined to ignore. 72 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 3: And also that point that you made before about driving 73 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 3: around in a flashy Mercedes, Now I'm really going to 74 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 3: understand you're a country lad somewhat. I'm also from the country, 75 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:37,720 Speaker 3: and I have to say, in my childhood, I did 76 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 3: not necessarily see a whole bunch of late model Mercedes 77 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:42,600 Speaker 3: sticking around with the chains and everything, so I might 78 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:43,600 Speaker 3: have stuck out a little bit. 79 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 2: It did, And there's some photographs still on the Carteil 80 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 2: website which isn't in an operation anymore, but it shows 81 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 2: two really fancy Mercedes being washed and featured in this 82 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 2: promotional video, which is quite well done, to be honest, 83 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 2: but Cobram, it's it's not really home to many Mercedes, 84 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:05,480 Speaker 2: and it's not AMG's no, no, it's not and. 85 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:10,279 Speaker 1: Not somebody with an apparently a fairly limited history of 86 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:13,039 Speaker 1: employment over the previous decade. 87 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 3: Wondering where the chains have come from. 88 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:21,679 Speaker 1: Probably Eddie's biggest mistake was underestimating these local coppers. Marcus 89 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 1: Boyd decides we're going to do something about this. He 90 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 1: contacts Echo. Echo already have something of an interest in 91 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:33,359 Speaker 1: Eddie because Eddie is present when a man called Fardi 92 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 1: Dab is shot by Australian Federal Police officers out of 93 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 1: Greenvale in the early hours of September twelve, nine eight. 94 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:45,159 Speaker 1: So it's a serious matter. He shot at the cops 95 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:47,280 Speaker 1: and then they shot at him. 96 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 4: He missed and they didn't. 97 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 1: They were in a car with cloned plates, so it 98 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:53,919 Speaker 1: was evidence of high level activity. 99 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:54,279 Speaker 4: You know. 100 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 1: He was somebody that they were going to watch have 101 00:05:58,040 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: an interest in. 102 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,719 Speaker 3: So Joshua has got Carte is his main business, but 103 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 3: obviously he's got other business interests not necessarily above board, 104 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 3: and he's not alone in that is. He's got some 105 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 3: friends and family. 106 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 4: He's got numerous family members. 107 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 1: His father David is involved, his sister is involved, other 108 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 1: relatives are involved. It was quite a network of people, associates, gophers. 109 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:27,120 Speaker 1: It was probably a large scale trafficking venture, which would 110 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 1: be commonplace in Melbourne, but isn't so common in these 111 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:30,840 Speaker 1: sort of places. 112 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:33,599 Speaker 3: So that's one of the questions. We've got stories and 113 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 3: some of your reporting has the dad going off to 114 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:39,360 Speaker 3: places on long drug runs and all sorts of shenanigans 115 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:41,359 Speaker 3: going up and down highways. Why are they doing this 116 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 3: all in Cobram. 117 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:45,479 Speaker 2: Well, they thought it was a good place to set 118 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:48,719 Speaker 2: up business. You're away from the big smoke or the 119 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 2: detectives in Melbourne or Sydney. It's a bit of a 120 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 2: channel in between those two cities. They would think being 121 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 2: out in Cobram, they've only got a handful of coppers 122 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 2: that can probably fly under the radar, a bit that 123 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 2: proved to be not true in the end. But there 124 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 2: was a channel that isn't along the Hume, but it's 125 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 2: a back highway. I'm not too sure which highway it is, 126 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:13,640 Speaker 2: but they call it the Smuggler's route and it is 127 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 2: a off broadway sort of highway. There's no traffic cameras. Obviously, 128 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 2: the coppers set themselves up on the Hume for sort 129 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:23,920 Speaker 2: of drug runs, but they would use the smugglers route 130 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 2: the back way to move drugs out of Cobram up 131 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 2: to Sydney. 132 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: So these guys would probably think, you know, they're operating 133 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:35,760 Speaker 1: on encrypted apps, They've got very elaborate hiding places for 134 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 1: their drugs and money. They're fairly well organized. They're probably 135 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:45,360 Speaker 1: thinking that this isn't the kind of enterprise that the 136 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 1: local police are going to be able to deal with. 137 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 1: They probably thought they were going to be operating for 138 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 1: a long time under the radar. 139 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 3: And it all seems very signs of anarchy, doesn't it 140 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,360 Speaker 3: The sort of the small town the crew of family 141 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 3: miscreants going about the doing miscreant things. 142 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 2: And having not actually seen that show. But there is 143 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:07,720 Speaker 2: your no you report on Barkis and you have not 144 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 2: seen I know another none of us. 145 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 3: But if you want. 146 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:16,000 Speaker 2: Reagan to watch Sons of Anarchary email in ass But 147 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:19,239 Speaker 2: the drug market in the Golden Valley and all along 148 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:23,080 Speaker 2: the Murray River border is it's huge. It extends all 149 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:26,240 Speaker 2: the way up to Mildura. And yeah, the drug issue 150 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 2: in regional Victoria, not just along the Murray, is quite significant. 151 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 1: There's money to be made in all of these towns, 152 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:35,440 Speaker 1: I mean, and you could go further north into Finley 153 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 1: and Hay and all these places. 154 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 4: They're not tiny towns. 155 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 1: Pretty much every country town, regional country center you'll go to, 156 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 1: there'll be people wanting to buy drugs. 157 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 4: There's good money to be made. 158 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 3: And we kind of mentioned some of these runs that 159 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:50,560 Speaker 3: they went on. Can you describe one of those how 160 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:52,200 Speaker 3: they panned out? 161 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 2: So there was an infamous one I think we can 162 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 2: say now from David Eddie, so Josh's dad who left 163 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 2: cop from forty eight hours later he's back in Cobram. 164 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 2: But that included a drive to Townsville, a drug drop 165 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 2: into the Gold Coast, another drop into Sydney and then 166 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 2: back it sounds south to Cobram, so I think it's 167 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:17,440 Speaker 2: nearly five thousand kilometers in forty eight hours, so it's 168 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 2: a very very efficient drug drop. 169 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:22,320 Speaker 3: You think he was sticking to the speed limit on 170 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:25,199 Speaker 3: that one, Reagan or no doubt, No doubt at all. 171 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:28,440 Speaker 2: But it was one that sort of blew the police 172 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:31,000 Speaker 2: away once they realized how far had actually gone in 173 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:34,320 Speaker 2: such a short amount of time. I'm not too sure 174 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 2: there were too many rest stops along the way. We'll 175 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:41,280 Speaker 2: never know that, but that would be the beginning of 176 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:42,760 Speaker 2: the end for Cartel. 177 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:45,079 Speaker 3: So we've got Cartel, and we've got mister Reading, and 178 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:47,680 Speaker 3: we've got mister Edie's family, and we've got a bunch 179 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 3: of annoyed townsfolk, and we've got a couple of local 180 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 3: coppers that are keeping their eye on them. And as 181 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:56,840 Speaker 3: you mentioned before, Echo is taking an interest what happens next. 182 00:09:57,559 --> 00:10:01,199 Speaker 1: They meet and they set up in operation, set out 183 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 1: a strategy, a plan for how this is going to operate. 184 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 4: So the way it's going to operate is. 185 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:08,440 Speaker 1: For the local police to keep an eye on things. 186 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 1: Any contact to be had with them is to be 187 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 1: through them. These people, some of these people, you know, 188 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:19,040 Speaker 1: contact with the police would not be unexpected to them, 189 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:24,840 Speaker 1: while Echo remain in the shadows and just watch, listen, 190 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 1: watch get what evidence they can, because you're dealing with 191 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:33,920 Speaker 1: people at the top of this syndicate who if they 192 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:36,839 Speaker 1: find out Echo are involved, then they'll just shut up shop. 193 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 1: And what they wanted was to stay in business. Well, 194 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:42,880 Speaker 1: evidence is accumulated. So they looked at them from I 195 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:45,240 Speaker 1: think it was up to a year and got a 196 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:48,120 Speaker 1: lot of evidence. They intercepted a bloke had just left 197 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:52,040 Speaker 1: Cartel with one hundred and ninety five grams of cocaine. 198 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 4: They did a drug deal. 199 00:10:53,720 --> 00:10:57,200 Speaker 1: With one of the syndicate's gophers, and undercover did a 200 00:10:57,240 --> 00:11:00,040 Speaker 1: two hundred and twenty four gram deal with him. We 201 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:03,560 Speaker 1: saw a lot of things as they put this thing together. 202 00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 2: One bit of tangible evidence that the police could tell 203 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 2: us about recently was that they were pretty much sitting 204 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:13,199 Speaker 2: opposite Cartel over the road. There were a couple of 205 00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:17,199 Speaker 2: detectives watching yep, and they noticed a car go in 206 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:19,360 Speaker 2: to the car detailing. 207 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:20,800 Speaker 3: Joint, which would usually take. 208 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:23,400 Speaker 2: A couple of hours to get your car detailed, I'm assuming, 209 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:25,880 Speaker 2: but this car went in and out within fifteen or 210 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 2: so minutes, and they thought something dodgy was going on. 211 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:32,199 Speaker 2: So that was one bit of intelligence that the detectives 212 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:33,120 Speaker 2: could share with us. 213 00:11:33,679 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 3: Not a turbosh, then, I don't think. So you've got 214 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:40,400 Speaker 3: the two local detectives they're kind of overtly keeping an 215 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 3: eye out on Cartel, and then you've got Echo, who 216 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:45,960 Speaker 3: are very much under the radar doing what they do 217 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 3: to collect the information they need, and then it all 218 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 3: comes to a head. 219 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:51,880 Speaker 2: It all comes to a head in the early hours 220 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:55,640 Speaker 2: of a really cold winter morning. David Eddie on his 221 00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 2: way back from Townsville, that really long five thousand kilometer drop. 222 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:03,280 Speaker 2: He's coming back into Cobram on the bridge connecting Cobram 223 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 2: and Baruga and police pull him over. It was a 224 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:10,320 Speaker 2: routine traffic stop is what they called it. And they 225 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 2: breath O David Eddie and they've got a search warrant 226 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:18,640 Speaker 2: for his car and they just take him out. They 227 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:22,120 Speaker 2: rip open the car and where the air bag is 228 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:25,640 Speaker 2: on the left passenger side, they lifted that out. There's 229 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:27,480 Speaker 2: no air bag, but there was a gun and a 230 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:31,720 Speaker 2: stack of cash in there. Eddie was arrested. The coppers 231 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 2: on the street get on the phone to the other 232 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:38,360 Speaker 2: detectives and it's time to go. So they've executed five 233 00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:42,079 Speaker 2: search warrants at the early hours of the morning all 234 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:45,520 Speaker 2: around Corpram and they needed to get it done really 235 00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:49,280 Speaker 2: really quickly so that no one could dispose of any 236 00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 2: evidence or run away or hide their gear. So two 237 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:57,200 Speaker 2: three four in the morning the AFP as well working 238 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 2: with the Victorian detectives and they just raid five houses 239 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 2: and businesses around Colbram. 240 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:04,959 Speaker 3: Was cartel on the list as well? Or was it 241 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:05,720 Speaker 3: all houses? 242 00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:09,520 Speaker 2: They were mainly houses. David Eddie's house, the family house 243 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:13,040 Speaker 2: was the main one. And it was a really interesting 244 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:15,680 Speaker 2: story that the detectives told us a couple of weeks ago, 245 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 2: which we wrote about in middle of July, that the 246 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:22,480 Speaker 2: Victorian detectives were searching the house and they couldn't really 247 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 2: find anything, no evidence of a drug sort of stash 248 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:31,959 Speaker 2: or a drug making area. And the federal police just said, 249 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:34,760 Speaker 2: all right, hang on, look up there in the corner, 250 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:37,960 Speaker 2: look over there to your left, look there behind the wall, 251 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:42,440 Speaker 2: and sure enough, the pieces started coming together, and behind 252 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 2: the fridge they found a They wheeled the fridge out, 253 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:49,280 Speaker 2: shifted that out of the way, and there was a 254 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:52,000 Speaker 2: secret wall, secret door, whatever you want to call it, 255 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 2: and there was the entire stash of cocaine. 256 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 3: Right, so that's kind of very Day of the Jack, 257 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:00,960 Speaker 3: or really pressed the button you have seen the Day 258 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:03,679 Speaker 3: of the Jack, I'll have you made. Unfortunately not if 259 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:06,800 Speaker 3: you would like. Reagan too watched over. So that's astonishing. 260 00:14:06,920 --> 00:14:09,360 Speaker 2: Behind the fridge was a button and it was like 261 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:11,839 Speaker 2: you'd see in the movies. It slowly opened this wall 262 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:16,160 Speaker 2: and it opened what they'd previously heard been called the 263 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:18,960 Speaker 2: medicine cabinet. So they'd been listening to the phone calls 264 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:21,760 Speaker 2: for the past few years and references to the medicine 265 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:24,720 Speaker 2: the cabinet. Go grab it from the medicine cabinet, put 266 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:27,400 Speaker 2: it back in the medicine cabinet. And once they've moved 267 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:31,040 Speaker 2: this fridge and opened up the secret wall, there's the 268 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:34,440 Speaker 2: infamous medicine cabinet that they'd heard so much about. And 269 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 2: that was the pinnacle of it for those detectives. And 270 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:40,040 Speaker 2: it was still the early hours of the morning, like 271 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:41,720 Speaker 2: in the middle of the night really, which. 272 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 3: Is quite unusual. 273 00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:47,400 Speaker 2: Usually raids would occur six in the morning, just as 274 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:49,239 Speaker 2: people are waking up unsuspecting. 275 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:51,680 Speaker 3: But this one they had to move really quickly. Yeah, right, 276 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:55,240 Speaker 3: And presumably as soon as they see the medicine cabinet 277 00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:58,720 Speaker 3: and all of its various unguents and powders, they say, 278 00:14:59,400 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 3: thank you very much, son, you're nicked pretty much. And 279 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:04,280 Speaker 3: who did they take away in cuffs? 280 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:09,240 Speaker 2: So David Eddie was arrested on the bridge connecting Cobraum 281 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:14,960 Speaker 2: and Baruga. They arrested Josh's sister, so David's daughter, Jade 282 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:19,720 Speaker 2: Josh was also arrested that night. Slash early morning, and 283 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:23,960 Speaker 2: I think a handful of his associates as well. 284 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:27,040 Speaker 3: And Josh is sent away and has gone up in 285 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:30,160 Speaker 3: front of a judge and no longer walking the street. 286 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:32,560 Speaker 2: I think he's what did he get nine nine and 287 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:35,480 Speaker 2: a bit years, nine and six months, nine and six months, 288 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:38,200 Speaker 2: So he'll be away for a little while longer. 289 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:40,120 Speaker 3: At the time of recording. 290 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:45,520 Speaker 2: But the raids and subsequent charges and had a big 291 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:47,760 Speaker 2: flow on effect for the Mongols that he was a 292 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:49,920 Speaker 2: part of, and we'll. 293 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 3: Talk about where that sets us up in the future. 294 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:55,240 Speaker 3: But these raids, they didn't happen like last week or something. 295 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:57,240 Speaker 3: There's been a while since the day happened. 296 00:15:57,320 --> 00:15:59,720 Speaker 2: Yes, there has been a bit of time passed since 297 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:02,000 Speaker 2: the raids. I think they were in twenty nineteen. 298 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:05,280 Speaker 1: They were twenty twenty one, so we've had to wait 299 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:08,520 Speaker 1: to fully cover this until Josh Eddie went through the courts, 300 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:09,920 Speaker 1: which was some months ago. 301 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:13,880 Speaker 2: We were lucky enough that Marcus Boyd from Cobram had 302 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 2: a chat to us I think in the middle of June, 303 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 2: and Kieran Duret from the Echo Task Force as well 304 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:25,040 Speaker 2: had a little conversation with us to shed some light 305 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:28,240 Speaker 2: on the good work those two did so we published 306 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:30,920 Speaker 2: that story in the Herald Sun in July. 307 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 3: So Josh is away and some of his associates are 308 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:36,880 Speaker 3: still away. Where does that leave us, you know, nature 309 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 3: of bores, a vacuum doesn't sort of mean that these 310 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:44,680 Speaker 3: one percent motorcycle gangs are not still in central Victoria 311 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:47,400 Speaker 3: nor the Victoria. Pretty much all of these country towns 312 00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:50,880 Speaker 3: tell us about that. Who are the players in these markets? 313 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:52,240 Speaker 3: Where are they and what are they doing? 314 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:56,640 Speaker 1: Well, there's a long history of omcg's operating out of 315 00:16:57,240 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 1: country areas. The Bandidos just further down the river were 316 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:05,520 Speaker 1: for many years enmeshed in Atchuka. They were patched over 317 00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:09,480 Speaker 1: some years ago to the Mongols. Their national president was 318 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:12,680 Speaker 1: from Achuka at that point. That with the Banditos president, 319 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:16,760 Speaker 1: that is it is an important area for bikey gangs 320 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:17,960 Speaker 1: up on the river. 321 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 3: And that's just so they can run drugs in and 322 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:21,240 Speaker 3: out of the state. 323 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:25,920 Speaker 1: Well regarded as strategically important. The Finks have a presence 324 00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:27,800 Speaker 1: in Country Victoria. 325 00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:29,520 Speaker 4: They're up at Wodonga. 326 00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:33,760 Speaker 1: They had a cracker getting into Gippsland set up a 327 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:37,639 Speaker 1: chapter near Bansdale. Although the police in a similar probably 328 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:40,440 Speaker 1: in a similar not quite at the same level as 329 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:43,399 Speaker 1: the Cobram job. Ended up putting a stop to that. 330 00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:46,640 Speaker 1: As one of them said, we canceled their East Gippsland visas. 331 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:49,359 Speaker 4: Ballarat, Bendigo have. 332 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:53,480 Speaker 1: Have always had, have traditionally had BIKEI presence. 333 00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 2: There are a couple of big jobs earlier in twenty 334 00:17:57,720 --> 00:18:01,600 Speaker 2: twenty five involving Mildur and Kolak, a couple of big 335 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:04,439 Speaker 2: drug busts. I know the Hell's Angels were caught up 336 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:07,440 Speaker 2: in at least one of them. But yeah, the country 337 00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:11,960 Speaker 2: areas are really popular for the oemcgs. As we spoke 338 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:14,600 Speaker 2: about before, there is still quite a large market for 339 00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:18,120 Speaker 2: drugs in the regional areas. Some of these places aren't 340 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:22,360 Speaker 2: just tiny country towns. There are some heavily populated areas 341 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:25,520 Speaker 2: still in Country Victoria, so there is quite a fair market. 342 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:29,000 Speaker 1: A place like Ballarat is important and I think the 343 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:33,080 Speaker 1: Bandidos have had two national runs there in recent years. 344 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:36,560 Speaker 1: That probably says something. At one of those runs, the 345 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:40,240 Speaker 1: sergeant at arms he got shot outside the clubhouse after 346 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:43,080 Speaker 1: some kind of argument broke out. Bendigo has always had 347 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:46,960 Speaker 1: the rebels fairly strong, although I think police have done 348 00:18:47,040 --> 00:18:49,280 Speaker 1: a lot of work on them over the years. And 349 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:52,480 Speaker 1: I think they've had to pull their heads in a 350 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:52,960 Speaker 1: little bit. 351 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:57,040 Speaker 3: So that's the bigger picture. But in terms of the Mongols, 352 00:18:57,520 --> 00:19:00,600 Speaker 3: with mister Eddie going away, what did that mean for 353 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:02,159 Speaker 3: them specifically. 354 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:05,719 Speaker 1: Well, we're not sure why this happened, but police believe 355 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:10,439 Speaker 1: that what happened up at Cobram and happened to the 356 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:14,359 Speaker 1: Eddy Syndicate basically caused a fracture in the Mongols which 357 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:20,439 Speaker 1: resulted in some senior members being asked to leave the club. 358 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:26,160 Speaker 1: Toby Mitchell, Mark Bellcilly, the late Sam Abel Rahim, Jason Addison, 359 00:19:26,359 --> 00:19:29,720 Speaker 1: very senior people, well known people all left the gang 360 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:33,440 Speaker 1: in that period. Now I couldn't actually say why that happened. 361 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:37,280 Speaker 1: It'd be opened to speculation that maybe the failure of 362 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:41,840 Speaker 1: what went on up there caused this fracture, would have 363 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:44,359 Speaker 1: caused a lot of trouble for their networks, I would imagine, 364 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:48,119 Speaker 1: or somebody was operating outside the structures of the gang. 365 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:53,159 Speaker 1: And if you're with the Mongols, the people at the 366 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:54,439 Speaker 1: top of the tree want to get a lick of 367 00:19:54,440 --> 00:19:59,359 Speaker 1: the icy pole and they don't appreciate people having a 368 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:01,320 Speaker 1: side hustle. Now I'm not saying that's the case, but 369 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:03,600 Speaker 1: we don't know what the reason was. 370 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 2: It's also not a good look when your syndicate is 371 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:08,959 Speaker 2: busted and you've been all over the news for the 372 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:11,120 Speaker 2: best part of five years. It's not a good look 373 00:20:11,160 --> 00:20:14,760 Speaker 2: for your outlaw motorcycle gang. So they would have had 374 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:16,199 Speaker 2: every right to be a bit pissed off with the 375 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:19,120 Speaker 2: Eddie Citicutt who brought them all into the spotlight. 376 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:22,720 Speaker 1: I think they probably would have become aware that maybe 377 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:24,440 Speaker 1: there were some mistakes made. 378 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:29,240 Speaker 3: Will probably naming it Cartel was potentially one of the 379 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:31,239 Speaker 3: first ones you would see, one of the biggest. And 380 00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:34,120 Speaker 3: on that note, WHI shall get you the streaming link 381 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:36,440 Speaker 3: to Sons of Anarchy and we shall thank you both 382 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:38,919 Speaker 3: for coming on today. Thank you Mark, Thank you Reagan. 383 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:40,720 Speaker 3: Andrew will be back next week. 384 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:45,480 Speaker 2: Not Life and Crimes, Thanks Jobete, thanks for listening. 385 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:48,919 Speaker 5: Life and Crimes is a Sunday Herald Sun production for 386 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:54,320 Speaker 5: True Crime Australia. Our producer is Johnty Burton. For my columns, 387 00:20:54,359 --> 00:20:58,920 Speaker 5: features and more, go to Heroldsun dot com dot Au, 388 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:04,600 Speaker 5: Forward Slag Andrew rule one word For advertising inquiries, go 389 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:09,399 Speaker 5: to news podcasts sold at News dot com dot au. 390 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:15,200 Speaker 5: That is all one word news podcasts sold, and if 391 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:19,680 Speaker 5: you want further information about this episode, links are in 392 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:20,600 Speaker 5: the description.