In August,the Australian Border Force approved 21,337 requests for travel while refusing 12,347. Almost 3000 people seeking exemptions on compassionate grounds were allowed to travel while 4749 were denied.
Mr Zahed was granted an exemption on compassionate grounds and left the country with his wife and child on a Qatar Airways flight bound for Doha shortly after 10pm on Thursday,according to multiple sources. His ultimate destination is said to be Turkey.
Police are sceptical of Mr Zahed’s stated reasons for travelling overseas but ran out of legal avenues to stop him. He has booked return flights although police do not know if he intends to use them.
He is viewed by law enforcement agencies as a key associate of Middle East-based Mark Buddle,allegedly helping the offshore bikie leader maintain his influence in Australia.
Mr Buddle,drug kingpin Hakan Ayik and other offshore targets are thought to be behind a large proportion of illegal drug imports into Australia,organising themselves into an“Aussie Cartel”,earning an estimated $1.5 billion from trafficking every year.
As police escalate their efforts against the overseas-based crime figures,including Mr Buddle and Mr Ayik,they are also targeting their networks that remain onshore.