Mark Spakianos accused of being a “sub dealer” for enterprise after massive drug bust in Adelaide’s south
A kingpin’s southern suburbs drug syndicate – where nearly $200,000 of meth and a ‘stash house’ were found – led to the arrest of eight of his ‘sub dealers’, a court heard.
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A group has faced court after police seized several kilograms of methamphetamine in a “stash house” linked to a kingpin’s suspected drug syndicate.
David Gregory Randell, 38, Daniel Luke Turbill, 46, Umar Ali Ubrahim, 39, Mark Anthony Spakianos, 48, and Kenan-Salih Kopic, 35, faced Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday, charged after a major drug sting in the southern suburbs.
Their co-accused, Robert Spencer, 65, pleaded guilty last month to one count of drug trafficking, while Brenton Robin Sims, 54, pleaded guilty to five counts.
Nathaniel Grahame Dunk, 35, did not appear in court and a warrant was issued.
Mr Spakianos applied to have his home detention bail conditions removed.
The court heard Mr Spakianos was allegedly one of the “sub dealers” within the “Thompson enterprise,” run by Blake Eric Thompson.
Thompson, 36, of Aldinga Beach, will face sentencing submissions for 90 counts of drug trafficking and one count of money laundering in the District Court next month.
A prosecutor said Mr Spakianos was obtaining drugs from Mr Thompson to onsell between June to November last year.
“He was buying multiple ounces between $6000 and $10,000 in amounts,” the prosecutor said.
“He was either collecting it directly from Mr Thompson or from the ‘stash house’ at Huntfield Heights.”
The court heard Mr Spakianos’ house was searched and police found $11,000 and 1g of methamphetamine in a safe.
Mr Spakianos told police he was a meth user but denied selling it.
The court heard he admitted being friends with Thompson but did not know Spencer, who was residing at the “stash house”.
Mr Spakianos admitted to travelling to a Huntfield Heights location multiple times but only to pick up and drop off cameras.
Serious and organised crime branch police arrested the men on November 24 and 25 as part of an investigation into drug distribution across Adelaide’s southern suburbs.
During a search, police allegedly discovered $155,000 in cash, 40 grams of methamphetamine, two cars and three motorcycles.
A search at properties in Sellicks Beach, Modbury North, Windsor Gardens and Holden Hill allegedly led to discoveries of more methamphetamine, 100 grams of cocaine, five kilograms of pseudoephedrine, one kilogram of iodine, two litres of hypo-phosphorous acid and a clandestine lab.
As a result, Mr Ubrahim, of Sellicks Beach, was arrested.
Police also searched properties at Morphett Vale and Hackham.
Mr Dunk, of Morphett Vale, was arrested and charged with drug trafficking after $8000 cash was allegedly found.
Mr Kopic, of Windsor Gardens, and Mr Randell, of Port Noarlunga South, were arrested at Hackham shopping centre and charged with drug trafficking, after they were allegedly found with one kilogram of methamphetamine.
They are charged with one count of drug trafficking, while the rest of the group, including Mr Spakianos, who is charged with 11 counts, face multiple drug trafficking charges.
In the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday, a prosecutor said they were finalising additional charges for two of the defendants.
Aaron Almeida, for Mr Spakianos, told the court he was the sole carer of his daughter and had employment available as a gutter cleaner.
Magistrate John Wells said he wasn’t prepared to remove Mr Spakiano’s home detention conditions but allowed him to leave the house for employment purposes.
The rest of the group, who are yet to enter any pleas, will face court again in December, while Sims and Spencer will face the District Court for arraignment in November.
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