Criminal lawyers are swapping the bright lights of Sydney for the coastal high rises of the Gold Coast ahead of the Commonwealth Games with an influx of drugs and criminal activity set to saturate the region.
The international sporting event is expected to attract as many as 700,000 spectators from around the world, which will significantly boost the local economy but will also bring a higher demand for cocaine, MDMA and ice.
Interstate legal representatives are beginning to open up branches in south-eastern Queensland to minimise travel ahead of an anticipated spike in required representation.
‘Events like the Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games are always big magnet for people who like to party,’ Sydney-based lawyer Ahmed Dib told the Courier Mail.
‘I anticipate drug activity will increase around that time and remain very high.’
Criminal lawyers are swapping the bright lights of Sydney for the Gold Coast ahead of the Commonwealth Games as an influx of drugs is set to lead to a rapid rise in criminal behaviour
Interstate legal representatives are beginning to open up branches in south-eastern Queensland to minimise travel ahead of an anticipated spike in required representation
‘Events like the Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games are always big magnet for people who like to party,’ Sydney-based lawyer Ahmed Dib (pictured) said
The Gold Coast has recently seen a skyrocketing in violent crimes, with a 2016-2017 report by Queensland Police revealing a shocking 85 per cent increase in ‘other homicide’ crimes including attempted murder and stabbings.
The well-documented presence of bikie gangs in the area has made the picturesque coastline a hotbed of criminal activity, attracting legal officials from around Australia.
Mr Dib, of Havas and Dib Lawyers, said there was an ‘abundance’ of work in the region and he and his staff had grown tired of repeatedly commuting between the Gold Coast and Sydney.
He set up a four-man team directly across the road from the Gold Coast Courthouse and has represented a number of high-profile cases.
The Gold Coast has recently seen a skyrocketing in violent crimes, with a 2016-2017 report by Queensland Police revealing a shocking 85 per cent increase in ‘other homicide’ crimes including attempted murder and stabbing
Mr Dib, of Havas and Dib Lawyers, said there was an ‘abundance’ of work in the region and he and his staff had grown tired of repeatedly commuting between the Gold Coast and Sydney
One of Mr Dib’s first cases was Ronnie Refalo (pictured), who was jailed for his involvement in a drug trafficking racket
One of Mr Dib’s first cases was Ronnie Refalo, who was jailed for his involvement in a drug trafficking racket.
He is also providing counsel for Chris Duspara, a Commanchero-linked man accused of having a role in a large-scale cocaine syndicate.
Increased police and tactical units will invade the area over the next few months in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games, which run from the 4th till the 15th of April.