The exit to a secret tunnel out of John Ibrahim’s multi-million dollar mansion lies just metres from a popular public boardwalk along Sydney’s rugged east coast.
Up a steep and rocky incline and hidden behind a bevvy of overhanging vines, to the thousands trekking daily along the boardwalk the door is not at all easy to spot.
But despite its discrete location it did not escape the attention of police, who found it during raids on Ibrahim’s Dover Height’s cliff top property in early August.
Following the international operation targeting an alleged $810 million drug ring, the rumours of a tunnel leading out of the Kings Cross identity’s home began to surface.
And after venturing off the beaten track to inspect Ibrahim’s hidden tunnel, Daily Mail Australia discovered the exit to the passageway – which appeared to have been used regularly in recent weeks.
The exit to a tunnel (pictured) out of the multi-million dollar waterside mansion of John Ibrahim is hidden behind a bevvy of tangled vines, overhanging trees and up a steep and rocky incline
The door into the hidden passageway lies on public land, just metres from a popular boardwalk along the rugged coastline at Dover Heights, in Sydney’s lavish eastern suburbs
Ibrahim (pictured), a nightclub owner in Sydney’s Kings Cross, rose to fame after his portrayal in the 2010 Underbelly TV series: The Golden Mile
Believed to start inside the garage of his waterside mansion, the tunnel is thought to run under the entirety of his cliff-top mansion before exiting onto public land.
While it’s not clear what the former nightclub owner uses the tunnel for, monitoring the exit from above is a large CCTV camera.
Near the door lay a variety of items including a Sheridan towel, broken glass bowls and a pair of clover-leaf inspired novelty sunglasses.
Pictures taken during the raids show police lifting up heavy mats and peering down into what appears to be a hole alongside Ibrahim’s pool.
An inside source confirmed to The Daily Telegraph the tunnel at the property was built in 2007 when Ibrahim installed a pool.
It was suggested the passageway doubles up as a quick ‘escape route’ for guests and gives access to the pool’s filters.
The exit to the tunnel sits along the wall of Ibrahim’s mansion, disguised behind trees and vines
While it’s not clear what the former nightclub owner uses the tunnel for, monitoring the exit from above is a large CCTV camera (pictured)
Near the exit to the tunnel lay a pink Sheridan towel, a broken glass bowl and other rubbish
A pair of clover-leaf inspired novelty sunglasses also sat near the door, which appeared to have been used during recent weeks
In his autobiography ‘The Last King of the X’, Ibrahim makes reference to a potential passageway beneath his home which helps him to avoid attention.
‘The police and the media are all over my s***, I have to use different ways to leave my house and make phone calls because the surveillance is constant,’ an extract reads.
There is no mention of the tunnel in paperwork for extensive renovations Ibrahim has submitted to the council for approval on several occasions.
A council spokeswoman said the council had no information of a tunnel at the Ibrahim property, while a spokesman for the AFP refused to comment.
Ibrahim, whose fame was encapsulated in the 2010 TV series Underbelly: The Golden Mile, wasn’t charged during the raids across Sydney, The Netherlands and Dubai.
The secret tunnel was allegedly discovered by police during raids at the property in August
Police officers look down from the pool onto the tunnel during raids on Ibrahim’s property
An Australian Federal Policeman leads a trained sniffer dog off the boardwalk and in search of the path during the raids in August
Police scour the public land that runs alongside Ibrahim’s clifftop mansion in Dover Heights
However his brothers Michael and Fadi were arrested in the UAE and remain behind bars in a Dubai prison, awaiting extradition back home to Australia.
His son Daniel, 26, and girlfriend Sarah Budge, 27, were both arrested and charged in Sydney before later being released on bail.
Ibrahim wasn’t charged after the raids, however his brothers Michael and Fadi were arrested in Dubai.
Ibrahim’s son, Daniel, and his 27-year-old girlfriend, Sarah Budge, were also arrested and released on bail in Sydney last week.
The alleged tunnel is believed to begin in the property’s double garage (pictured) at the front of the house and lead through to the public park
Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.