A convicted gang rapist is back behind bars five years after being paroled, this time over alleged drug offences.
Mohammed Skaf was arrested on Juno Parade in Greenacre, Western Sydney, about 11.30pm on Wednesday after police allegedly seized a haul of cocaine and cash on the 42-year-old and at his nearby home.
Police allege they seized about $25,000 in cash and 140g of cocaine during a search of Skaf and a nearby park. A subsequent search of his Greenacre home allegedly uncovered about $220,000 in cash, 68g of cocaine, 10g of MDMA, a vehicle and several mobile phones.
The arrest was part of an investigation launched in May into the alleged large-scale supply of cocaine and other illicit drugs across southwest metropolitan Sydney.
Skaf faces 24 charges
“We’re going to allege he’s the principal of the whole investigation. He directed everybody,” Detective Chief Inspector Jeffery Walsh said.
Skaf has been charged with 24 offences, including supplying prohibited drugs, dealing with the proceeds of crime and directing the activities of a criminal group.
Also charged were a 51-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman, who police allege acted as drug runners for Skaf. The man was arrested at a unit in Bankstown, where police allegedly seized a ballistic vest, a baton and steroids. The woman was arrested at a unit in Newington, where police allegedly located ketamine and MDMA.
Other defendants face multiple charges
The man has been charged with four counts of supplying a prohibited drug, supplying prohibited drugs on an ongoing basis, participating in a criminal group and contributing to criminal activity, and two counts of possessing or using a prohibited weapon without a permit. The woman has been charged with three counts of supplying a prohibited drug and participating in a criminal group contributing to criminal activity.
All three were refused bail and appeared before court on Thursday.
Skaf’s criminal history
Skaf was 17 when he and his older brother, Bilal Skaf, led a gang responsible for a series of notorious gang rapes targeting at least six schoolgirls in southwest Sydney in 2000. Skaf was refused parole several times before being released in October 2021. He served out the remainder of his sentence for the gang rape crimes in the community until its conclusion in 2024. A parole hearing shortly before he was let out was told he continued to blame his victims and had shown no remorse for his crimes. Skaf was subject to mandatory electronic monitoring after his release, but his full sentence expired in January 2024.
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000. Advice and counselling for men concerned about their use of family violence: Men’s Referral Service, 1300 766 49.
