After being bailed out of prison a few weeks ago, notorious Lebanese underground figure Hassan “Sam” Ibrahim is set to be deported to Lebanon by the Australian authorities.
Ibrahim, who has been living in Australia since the age of 4, spent over 5 years behind bars out of his nine-year prison sentence, before being paroled recently following the end of the non-parole part of his sentence.
He was arrested in 2014 in New South Wales (NSW) for conspiring to supply guns.
His sister and her partner were also arrested following raids in the capital city, Sydney, and the Illawarra region. The raid led to the discovery of a military-grade assault rifle, a standard rifle, in addition to a couple of shotguns and about a dozen handguns.
After being paroled, Ibrahim was handed over to Australia’s federal authorities in preparation for his deportation to Lebanon, without his family or lawyers being informed beforehand.
Born in Lebanon, the 51-year-old is the brother of John Ibrahim, a popular figure and former Kings Cross, Sydney nightclub owner who has been accused of being a “major organized-crime figure” and labeled as “the lifeblood of the drugs industry of Kings Cross”; allegations that John Ibrahim denies.
NSW Police State Crime Commander Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said that Sam Ibrahim’s deportation sent a clear message that organized crime will not be tolerated.
“Today, a person, who for many years has conducted criminal activity with little regard for the devastation he has left in his wake, has departed NSW never to return and we hope the community can find solace in that,” Smith said in a statement.
Ibrahim, whose permanent residency visa was revoked following his arrest years ago, will be taken to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean, before being flown to Lebanon, according to Australian media.
