For their roles in bringing packages from Serbia that contained a total of around 5kg of cocaine into Australia, three Sydney men have been sentenced to a combined 15 years in prison.
Two of the men, who worked as couriers, picked up the illegal parcels after they were delivered to fictitious locations.
The third man would then receive the packages and distribute them throughout Sydney.
In September 2020, AFP officers connected the importations to a 54-year-old man from Homebush who was accused of receiving the illegal consignments from two other males, a 37-year-old man from Pemulwuy and a 45-year-old man from West Hoxton.
Shortly after the Pemulwuy man provided the Homebush man a package that eventually turned out to contain roughly 649g of cocaine, the Homebush guy was taken into custody in December 2020.
Additional 1.6 kg of cocaine, more than $7000 in cash, and around 100 empty packages with white powder traces were found during searches of the Homebush man’s home and vehicle.
After that, police carried out a search warrant at the residence of the Pemulwuy man and seized $24,000 in cash, along with drug paraphernalia and multiple clip-seal bags that had traces of white substance.
When authorities discovered a connection between the West Hoxton guy and the two individuals they had detained, they later executed a search warrant on his home and vehicle.
Seized items included several packages containing a white powder residue and more than $36,000 in cash.
To find the source of the drugs and anyone else involved, the police are collaborating with foreign allies.
The Pemulwuy man admitted to bringing in a commercial amount of a substance that was under border control.
On Friday, he was given a four-year, seven-month prison term with a two-year, six-month non-parole period.
The West Hoxton resident admitted bringing in a commercial amount of a substance that was under border control.
He was given a four-year, six-month sentence in October of last year, with a two-year, nine-month non-parole period.
The Homebush man admitted to trafficking a commercial amount of a substance that was controlled at the border as well as trading in money that was likely to have been obtained illegally.
Additionally, he received a six-year prison term in October of last year, with a three-year, eight-month non-parole period.
