Houshang Naroie asks SA court to show mercy over $18 million in meth seized from Morphett Vale drug lab
A self-described “errand boy” for an international drug cook wants mercy for helping to produce 40kg of pure meth – and says he kept receipts for all of the expenses he incurred.
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A man arrested over a “Breaking Bad”-style drug lab that yielded 40kg of pure meth worth $18 million has pleaded for mercy, saying he was just the fall guy for the real criminals.
Houshang Naroie has told the District Court he was merely the “errand boy” for a skilled drug chemist flown in from overseas to run a covert lab in a Morphett Vale house.
Prosecutors, however, said Naroie – who kept receipts for all the money he spent during the criminal enterprise – may not have played a central role, but was key to the lab’s success.
They said Naroie rented the house, bought the chemicals and lab equipment, purchased motor vehicles and even bought the chemist’s food and clothing for him.
Naroie, 38, pleaded guilty to manufacturing a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug.
He was arrested following the discovery of the lab, on Marston Drive, by SA Police’s STAR Group in October 2018.
At the time, police dubbed the lab – located less than 900m from a primary school – one of the biggest in SA history.
During their initial search, police found 11kg of methamphetamine worth $5.5 million, as well as 120kg of powder which was sent for testing.
On Tuesday, prosecutor Rachel Garland said the final tally had amounted to 39.9kg of the drug at a purity of 79 per cent – the highest purity possible is 80 per cent.
She said that amounted to 366,000 street deals, worth between $4.2 million if sold by the kilogram or $18.3 million if sold as points.
“Naroie played a key role in facilitating this large-scale manufacture of the drug,” she said.
“He sourced accommodation for the chemist, he leases the premises for the lab, he obtained the chemicals, clothing, utensils, burners and pots to be used.
“He purchased motor vehicles and bought food and personal items for the chemist.”
Martin Anders SC, for Naroie, conceded that was true but argued his client’s actions needed to be viewed in their proper context.
“He was told that a medical practitioner, a dentist, was completing his studies internationally and had an interest in coming to Australia,” he said.
“He was told there was a plan that was financially lucrative, and that this man had qualifications in the field of chemistry, and was asked if he wanted to be involved.
“There was no warning this would not be a lawful exercise.”
He said Naroie was told he would receive $10,000 and be reimbursed for all “out of pocket” expenses, and so paid for everything on his personal credit card and kept receipts.
“He could be described, in some respects, as the ‘fall guy’ … he was effectively the errand boy, doing the running around for the man who was manufacturing the drug,” he said.
Judge Jane Schammer remanded Naroie in custody for sentencing next month.
Breaking Bad – one of the most critically acclaimed television shows of the past 15 years – follows the misadventures of Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher who becomes a meth cook and drug kingpin after being diagnosed with cancer.