Saverio Frank Catanzariti guilty of trafficking cannabis and MDMA in ‘highly organised drug operation’

A four-time convicted cannabis dealer has denied he was “the apex” of a major drug courier operation which shipped more than 20,000 MDMA pills.

A four-time convicted cannabis dealer has denied he was “the apex” of a major drug courier operation which supplied contacts in Western Australia, a court has heard.

Saverio Frank Catanzariti, 53, was sentenced in the District Court of South Australia earlier this month to 13 years prison for five counts of trafficking a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug.

The Woodville West resident was found guilty on February 11.

In the District court, Justice Sophie David said Catanzariti “orchestrated and directed” a “highly organised drug operation” which sourced locally grown cannabis and MDMA pills to be taken to Western Australia for sale.

Specifically, it involved four shipments of a “significant quantity of cannabis” and a “large and valuable amount of MDMA”, between November, 2012 and November the following year.

“You did so for considerable profit,” Justice David said.

“As shown by your unexplained wealth and value of the drugs on the illicit drug market.”

She said the accused was “at the apex of this drug operation”.

“You continue to deny the offending in the face of what I consider to be an overwhelming prosecution case,” she said.

The court heard police seized 13.3kg of cannabis. Picture: File.

Justice David said Catanzariti had called on members of his family and associates to be involved, primarily in the packaging of drugs.

The court heard in November, 2013, the father of three trafficked 35 pounds of cannabis, and a further 47 pounds of cannabis in October, 2013.

In November, 2013, police seized 13.3kg of cannabis, and 20,079 tablets containing MDMA at the Keswick Railway Station.

“You trafficked the cannabis and MDMA by directing the packaging of those drugs,” she said.

“Your offending was not isolated but occurred against a background of other similar uncharged conduct.”

The court heard the accused had received convictions for similar offending, including eight months in jail in 1993 for producing and possessing cannabis for sale.

He also received an 18-month suspended sentence in 1998 for cultivating a commercial quantity of cannabis; a nine month suspended jail term in 2004 for producing cannabis; and a 14-month jail term in 2010 for cultivating a commercial quantity of a controlled plant.

Justice David said the accused had received the benefit of suspended sentences in the past but it had not deterred him from reoffending and he was a “serious repeat offender”.

The court heard the accused was born in Calabria, Italy and migrated with his family to Australia when he was an infant.

He worked on the family’s Virginia farm, in retail and other businesses and was once employed as a grocery store manager.

Then, in 2015 after his arrest, the accused established a successful concreting business and was described as a “trustworthy and reliable” person by a business associate.

He had a “close-knit” immediate family but had recently suffered sleep disturbance, social withdrawal and depression, shoulder and hip issues and gout.

He received a non-parole term of 10 years, four months and 25 days.

Catanzariti will appeal the decision in the Supreme Court next month.