Three people have today been sentenced to a combined 19 years’ jail in relation to the importation and intended distribution of more than one tonne of MDMA.
Three men appeared at the Downing Centre District Court today (10 December 2021) where they were sentenced to:
- A 29-year-old was sentenced to 7 years and 6 months imprisonment with a non-parole period of 4 years and 6 months,
- A 29-year-old was sentenced to 7 years and 1 month imprisonment with a non-parole period of 4 years, 3 months, and
- A 31-year-old was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment with a non-parole period of 3 years.
Another man was sentenced earlier in the month.
The results of a joint investigation between the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Australian Border Force (ABF) and assistance from NSW Police Force was announced in March 2020 following the seizure of the illicit drugs and the arrest of six men. The details of the investigation and arrests can be found in this previous media release.
The MDMA was seized after ABF officers detected anomalies in a shipping container that arrived from South Korea on 11 January 2020.
An examination by the ABF found a number of pallets laden with 648 plastic tubs labeled as tile adhesive. Within 176 tubs of adhesive were bags of a powder that presumptively tested positive to the presence of MDMA. Each tub contained approximately six kilograms of MDMA powder. The total weight of the substance seized from the shipment was 1,051kg.
Earlier this year, the men pleaded guilty in the Downing Centre District Court to a range of offences including importing, possessing and trafficking drugs, possession of firearms and ammunition, and proceeds of crime.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Kirsty Schofield said Australian law enforcement agencies are more united than ever in the fight against organised crime.
“The seizure of these drugs is an excellent demonstration of the collaborative work done by the AFP and other law enforcement agencies to disrupt organised criminals and the importation of illicit drugs,” acting Assistant Commissioner Schofield said.
“As well as stopping approximately 1,051kg of MDMA entering Australian, the work done by our officer’s makes it abundantly clear that we are committed to bringing organised crime to account for exploiting the Australian community.”
NSW Police Force State Crime Commander, Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith, said an international criminal syndicate suffered a significant disruption as a result of the joint investigations.
“More than a tonne of prohibited drugs was prevented from hitting the streets of NSW, highlighting the success of partnerships between the Organised Crime Squad and our law enforcement partners,” Assistant Commissioner Smith said.
“The NSW Police Force will continue working closely with our partners to help ensure criminal networks do not profit from peddling drugs and doing untold damage to our community.”
ABF Commander Enforcement East, Justin Bathurst said the detection was a great example of Australian law enforcement agencies working together to bring criminals to justice.
“This seizure represents millions of street deals that didn’t happen due to the hard work of all of the agencies involved” he said.
“Working with our international and domestic partners we are committed to stopping shipments like this one from reaching our streets and damaging our community.”
