A leading figure in the steel industry is among three Australians arrested in Serbia for allegedly being part of a major international drug smuggling syndicate with links to a $500million cocaine haul.
Rohan Arnold was dramatically arrested in the lobby of the Metropol Palace hotel, in the nation’s capital Belgrade, during the major police operation on Wednesday night.
It’s alleged Mr Arnold, a director of a NSW livestock company, and the two other men were waiting for a ‘money handover’ when armed officers stormed the luxury hotel.
Dramatic footage released by Serbian police shows a bag filled with various forms of currency, including approximately $600,000 Euros and $10,000 Australian dollars.
Rohan Arnold (pictured) was dramatically arrested in the lobby of the Metropol Palace hotel, in the nation’s capital Belgrade, alongside two other Australians in Serbia on Wednesday night
Serbian police have arrested three Australians suspected of being part of an international drug-smuggling syndicate. Footage shows a bag filled with various forms of currency
Mr Arnold is a director of South East Livestock Exchange and also his own company ‘Arnold Co’, which is a major player in the NSW construction industry.
The Arnold Co. website says it ‘removes the unknown risks associated procurement with primarily construction related products from China’.
He also runs his own online blog about the two industries.
In a statement released on Thursday, the South East Livestock Exchange (SELX) said its business was not involved in anyway with the police operation.
‘SELX Pty Ltd owns livestock selling centres at Yass (SELX) and Mortlake (WVLX),’ the statement read.
‘The Directors of SELX Pty Ltd have become aware through the media that Rohan Arnold a Director of SELX Pty Ltd has been arrested by Serbian authorities in Belgrade.
‘The operation and management of SELX and WVLX are not affected by this development. Livestock sales will continue as scheduled.’
Police said the arrested men are linked to a $500million cocaine haul seized in Sydney last year
Heavily armed police stormed into the lobby of a Belgrade hotel and threw the men to the ground
Video showed Mr Arnold sitting inside the lobby of the hotel with the two other men unaware they were about to be raided by police.
Police said the men ‘are linked to’ the discovery of 1,280 kilograms of cocaine that was seized last April on a Chinese boat docked in Sydney.
They said the drugs were worth (AUD)$500 million.
A Lebanese citizen was also detained and charged with having forged identity documents.
Serbian authorities said the arrests were made in cooperation with Australian police.
Police are pictured storming into the Belgrade hotel moments before the dramatic arrests
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