A member of an Australian-based criminal syndicate has been sentenced to a total of 14 years and 10 months behind bars for his role in a major drug trafficking ring in Melbourne that was broken up by an Australian Federal Police (AFP) investigation in 2018.
The court heard the syndicate had conspired to traffick a commercial quantity of methamphetamine and heroin into and within Australia between 31 May 2018 and 21 September 2018.
The 35-year-old man was charged on 4 December 2018 with:
- One count of trafficking in a commercial quantity of methamphetamine contrary to section 302.2 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth)
- Three counts of trafficking cocaine contrary to section 302.4 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth);
- One count of trafficking methamphetamine contrary to section 302.4 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth); and
- One count of dealing in proceeds of crime; $10,000 or more contrary to section 400.6 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).
He was sentenced in the Melbourne County Court this week (Monday 5 October 2020) to a maximum sentence of 14 years and 10 months jail, with a non-parole period of 9 years and 4 months.
AFP investigators launched an investigation into the criminal syndicate operating in Melbourne's western suburbs in May 2018. Between Thursday 20 September 2018 and Monday 24 September 2018, a series of search warrants were executed across the Melbourne.
Five men were initially arrested, not including the man sentenced today. As part of the search warrants police uncovered a cannabis grow house operated by the syndicate and seized more than 4 kilograms of methamphetamine and 2.5 kilograms of heroin. Investigators also seized more than $200,000 in cash, encrypted mobile phones, firearms and a Lamborghini sports car during the search warrants.
The 35-year-old was arrested on 4 December 2018 at his residence in the Melbourne suburb of Chadstone. AFP members seized two 'ciphr' encrypted mobile phones, a quantity of methamphetamine and $43,000 in cash.
The man is the fifth syndicate member to be convicted in connection with this investigation.
Members of this syndicate have so far been sentenced to a combined 68 years and eight months imprisonment.
