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Operation Ironside offender Stefan Gawlik jailed for organising $120K, 50L fantasy drug transaction

An Operation Ironside offender who arranged a $120,000 drug transaction but refused to explain his motivation for offending has learned his fate in court.

Operation Ironside Phase 2

A “vital” Operation Ironside drug trafficker who arranged the purchase and delivery of 50 litres of fantasy for a $20,000 cut has not explained his motivation for the offending, a court has heard.

Stefan Jozef Duncan Gawlik, 31, communicated with others via the encrypted AN0M application, which was being secretly monitored by law enforcement agencies, to arrange a $120,000 drug delivery.

He was under police surveillance in March 2021 when he collected a $35,000 down payment from another man in Norwood and took it to Morphett Vale in exchange for the illicit substance.

In sentencing, Supreme Court Justice Adam Kimber, who presided over the matter in the District Court, said Gawlik was monitored as he arrived at the southern suburbs property and as the drug was loaded into a vehicle from a house across the road.

Operation Ironside drug trafficker Stefan Gawlik. Picture: Supplied by SA District Court.
Operation Ironside drug trafficker Stefan Gawlik. Picture: Supplied by SA District Court.

He said two other men then drove that vehicle to a carpark in Fulham Gardens as Gawlik followed in his vehicle.

Police intercepted the men in the carpark.

Justice Kimber said AN0M messages about the trade were “consistent with you being prepared to be involved in the transaction for as little as $1000 or $2000”.

“However, before the interception of the transaction by the police, the reward that you were expecting had risen to $20,000,” he said.

“You were not the most senior person involved in the transaction, nevertheless you were a vital player.

“You were trusted to deal with the purchaser, to receive the deposit, to attend the address where the drugs were kept and to follow the car in which those drugs were to be delivered.”

Justice Kimber said that while Gawlik was not charged with other drug trafficking offences, the trust placed in him by those higher up in the illegal drug trade indicated it was not his first time.

“Intercepted messages showed that you had been involved in the exchange of drugs before this transaction and during 2020,” he said.

Operation Ironside drug trafficker Stefan Gawlik. Picture: Supplied by SA District Court.
Operation Ironside drug trafficker Stefan Gawlik. Picture: Supplied by SA District Court.

Despite his lengthy involvement, Justice Kimber said Gawlik was yet to explain his motivation for offending.

“You are not prepared to be open about why you became involved,” he said.

“One explanation may be your loyalty, another may be your concerns about others involved. It may be a combination of both.”

Justice Kimber said despite the lack of an explanation, he was satisfied Gawlik’s motivation was financial.

He said Gawlik – who had previously shot up the house of a man who gave his girlfriend a cigarette – had “experienced vulnerabilities with (his) mental health” for some time, which had impacted his decision-making ability.

But he said those psychological issues did not reduce his moral culpability.

“Your offence is not an example of a stupid mistake out of the blue,” he said.

“You were a key player in a transaction involving $120,000 of a drug. Once reduced into smaller amounts and on-sold, it would have had a far greater value.”

After a discount for his plea, Justice Kimber imposed a six year, 10 month and 20 days sentence and set a non-parole period of three years and eight months.

Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-sa/operation-ironside-offender-stefan-gawlik-jailed-for-organising-120k-50l-fantasy-drug-transaction/news-story/26e9dd300048cb04b790f1af8fac7352