August 15, 2026 — 9:50am

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When tactical police raided a house in the north-west Sydney suburb of Dural they found Bilal Bou-Melhem bloodied, bound and held captive for a half-million dollar ransom.

Two weeks later, police were again dispatched to track down the Mount Pritchard tobacconist. This time, it would end with him in handcuffs and facing illegal tobacco, criminal group and weapons charges.

According to police documents released by the NSW Supreme Court during a bail hearing this week, Bou-Melham is no ordinary tobacconist. The…

Read the full article at SMH.COM.AU