Shahram Kamali jailed for nine and a half years for role in massive Morphett Vale meth lab

A man who claimed he came to Adelaide to inspect granite floors only to be arrested in his underwear in a huge drug lab has been jailed.

A drug chef imported from the United State to run a complicated methamphetamine operation, only to be caught by police in his underwear at a southern suburbs drug house has been jailed for almost a decade.

Shahram Kamali, 43, was caught by police in the same house as $18.3 million worth of methamphetamine in various states of manufacture on October 7, 2018.

On Monday, Judge Jane Schammer said Kamali’s role in the operation was unique compared with two other co-accused.

While Misagh Habibi and Houshang Naroie were driving around the southern suburbs gathering items for use in the drug operation, Kamali was in contact with the man running the operation.

The trio would grind solid grey bricks containing methamphetamine into a powder.

The powder would then be dissolved in water or another substance where the grit would sink to the bottom and the methamphetamine would dissolve.

The liquid would be scooped off the top and then boiled so only a high-purity paste of methamphetamine was left at the bottom.

Police are seen at a property in Morphett Vale, Adelaide, on October 8, 2018. More than 100 kilograms of methamphetamine has been seized in a police raid on a clandestine drug lab in Adelaide. Picture: David Mariuz.

The paste would be spread on long boards covered with aluminium foil so if could be dried.

When police broke down the door on the operation there was 15.7kg of methamphetamine in a state ready to be sold.

Another 24.4kg was in a variety of other forms.

Kamali was arrested hiding in a back room in his underwear.

The three men were charged with manufacturing a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug.

Judge Schammer said the drugs were likely to be sold in kilo lots and be worth around $4.2 million.

But if the methamphetamine was sold in 366,000 street deals, it could be worth more than $18 million.

Photos of the clandestine lab in Morphett Vale where Shahram Kamali was arrested. Picture: SAPOL

Kamali arrived in on September 11, 2018 from the United States. He was scheduled to spend 14 days at a property in Sydney but after only a few days made his way to Adelaide.

During sentencing submissions, Ben Armstrong, for Kamali, told the court his client had believed he was coming to Australia to inspect some granite flooring, but instead ended up being the conduit for instructions on how to collect the drugs.

Judge Schammer accepted prosecution submissions Kamali’s actions were entirely motivated by profit, noting the sophistication of the operation, which would produce less noticeable acidic fumes as manufacturing the drugs.

Kamali was born in Tehran but fled in 2008 following claims of infidelity and threats on his life.

He was smuggled out of the country and made his way to the United States via Mexico, spending almost a year in immigration detention before being granted asylum.

He became a US citizen and will be deported back at the completion of his sentence.

Judge Schammer said it was unclear how Kamali would fit in back in society having lost his house and employment while in prison.

Kamali was sentenced to nine years and six months in prison with a non-parole period of five years and six months.

With time served, he will be eligible to be deported in early 2024.