A Sydney man has been sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment by the NSW District Court for his involvement in a plot to import 127kg of pseudoephedrine into Sydney.
The 39-year-old man pleaded guilty on 19 October 2023 to conspiring to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled precursor and dealing with money suspected to be the proceeds of crime. He was charged in June 2021.
AFP Detective Inspector Luke Wilson stated that the amount of pseudoephedrine could have been used to produce approximately 95kg of methamphetamine.
“These precursors would likely have been made into illicit drugs to sell on our streets, meaning we have stopped about $80 million going into the pockets of those involved in this illegal venture.”
Intelligence gathered during Operation Ironside, a three-year covert investigation into organised crime syndicates, was crucial in disrupting the plan.
The investigation targeted groups using the dedicated encrypted communications device AN0M to traffic illicit drugs and weapons into Australia.
Australian Border Force (ABF) officers selected the consignment, described as denim material, for examination when it arrived in Sydney in October 2020.
An initial examination revealed 155kg of a compressed white crystalline substance inside plastic packages wrapped in fabric. AFP forensic analysis later confirmed the substance was pseudoephedrine, with a total pure quantity of 127kg.
Detective Inspector Wilson added:
“The AFP is working closely with partners around the world to make Australia as hostile as possible for drug traffickers and stop them from profiting at the community’s expense.”
In June 2021, AFP officers executed search warrants at the man’s home in East Hills and another residence in Casula. During the searches, officers seized a Louis Vuitton backpack containing $14,000 in cash, a plastic bag containing $110,000 in cash, and three electronic devices.
The man was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment with a non-parole period of three years and six months. The $124,000 seized during the search was forfeited to the Commonwealth.
