Pro surfer and alleged ‘high ranking member’ of the infamous Bra Boys Evan Faulks arrested

Pro surfer and alleged ‘high ranking member’ of the infamous Bra Boys is accused of sending $12.6million worth of meth to Australia

  • Evan Faulks, 38, arrested by police on the Gold Coast on Tuesday 
  • The arrest follows an investigation into $12.6million drug ring 

An Australian professional surfer has been arrested for allegedly organising the importation of meth and coke into the country from America. 

Evan Faulks, 38, was arrested during a car stop on the Gold Coast on Tuesday and is accused of directing a $12.6million drug ring while his partner Ariane Rose Munch, 37, was later arrested at a nearby home and is also charged.

The pair’s arrest follows an 18-month long investigation into the importation of drugs into NSW by local authorities after a tip off from the US Drug Enforcement Agency.

Police allege Faulks organised the ring as a ‘high ranking member’ of infamous Sydney surf gang the ‘Bra Boys’, while Munch is accused of being an ‘associate’ of the group, The Tweed Daily News reported.

‘He has been and continues to direct members of the organisation in their criminal actions, including organising the import of prohibited drugs and distribution of prohibited drugs in Sydney,’ police documents allege.

The pair are in the process of being extradited to NSW.

Police arrested Faulks during a car stop on Tuesday, while his partner Munch was later arrested at a nearby Gold Coast home

Faulks is a well-known big wave surfer who has appeared in a Red Bull surfing documentary

Faulks is a well-known big wave surfer who has appeared in a Red Bull surfing documentary

In September 2021, detectives attached to the State Crime Command’s Drug and Firearms Squad, assisted by the Australian Border Force, commenced Strike Force Madline.

The investigation was launched after the DEA and US Customs allegedly discovered two ‘consignments’ of drugs – meth concealed in machinery and cocaine in a stone benchtop – totalling 6kg. 

Police will allege in court Faulks assisted in facilitating the attempted importation of both consignments.

He is also accused on laundering the proceeds of crime, some $840,000, through an online betting account between 2014 and 2017 to avoid law enforcement detection.

Drugs were allegedly discovered concealed inside machinery and a stone benchtop by the DEA in the US on the way to Australia, which prompted NSW police to launch an investigation

Drugs were allegedly discovered concealed inside machinery and a stone benchtop by the DEA in the US on the way to Australia, which prompted NSW police to launch an investigation 

Faulks has been charged with two counts of attempting to import a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, and one count each of knowingly directing the activities of a criminal group, knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime and intending to conceal, and dealing with property proceeds of crime.

Munch was charged with participate criminal group contribute criminal activity, obtain financial advantage by deception, deal with property proceeds of crime, wilfully make false declaration for material benefit, and knowingly deal with proceeds of crime intent to conceal.

She is accused of defrauding the Commonwealth over $567,910.26 in undeclared income.

Munch is due to appear at Parramatta Local Court on May 26. 

Faulks is set to front Downing Centre Local Court on April 5.

WHO ARE THE BRA BOYS?

The Bra Boys are a surf gang which began in the 1990s in the south Sydney suburb of Maroubra, which is where the name comes from.

They quickly gained a reputation for violence based around protecting their territory, both on land and the breaks they surfed.

There have at points been more than a hundred members, many sporting tattoos like ‘My brother’s keeper’ and ‘2035’ the suburb’s postcode.

A 2007 documentary brought the group into the spotlight which heavily featured original members the Abberton brothers.

They were also the inspiration for the ‘River Boys’ which featured in soap opera Home and Away. 

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