Drug courier Truc-Hung Tran avoids jail after entangling wife Yasmin El-Masri in enterprise

A courier caught with a significant amount of cannabis and cash in his car has entangled his wife into his criminal enterprise.

A court has given a courier, who was caught with a significant amount of drugs and cash in his car, a second chance.

Truc-Hung Tran, 27, dodged jail after he entangled his wife in his criminal enterprise to pay off his gambling debt.

Tran was pulled over by police on December 27, 2023 at Port Adelaide, with police finding close to $43,000 in a bag inside his car and 1.358kg of cannabis.

The court previously heard the cannabis was worth around $20,000 if sold in ounces.

After his arrest, Tran called his wife Yasmin El-Masri, 27, who arrived at the location where Tran had been stopped by police – leaving a short time later.

Police then attended the couple’s home at Paralowie where they found a Coles shopping bag containing cannabis weighing 381g along with another 392g in a vehicle.

Yasmin El-Masri and husband Truc Tran pleaded guilty to drug trafficking. Photo: Instagram

They were both handed suspended sentences. Photo: Instagram

Police also found two heat-sealed bags of cannabis in the main bedroom, as well as an electronic money counter.

The court heard CCTV showed El-Masri carrying a Coles shopping bag and black jumper to the car from their home.

“You acted as an assistant for your co-offender and on his instructions removed the cannabis from inside your home in a misguided attempt to protect your family from legal consequences,” Judge Anthony Allen said during El-Masri’s sentencing.

El-Masri, who pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, was sentenced in April to one year and four months jail, with a non-parole period of eight months.

However, due to El-Masri caring for the couple’s three children and minor role in the offending, the sentence was suspended on a $500, 12 month good behaviour bond.

Tran pleaded guilty to two counts of drug trafficking.

The court heard Tran turned to cannabis and gambling as coping mechanisms due to childhood trauma and developed significant gambling debts.

“Ultimately, as a consequence of your dire financial circumstances, you accepted a role within a cannabis trafficking operation,” Judge Allen said.

The court heard Tran was provided with the cannabis to courier to various locations, and would receive cannabis as part of his payment.

The court heard Tran, who is in custody in WA on an unrelated matter, had ceased gambling and using cannabis since his arrest.

Tran was sentenced to two years and two months jail, with a non-parole period of one year and two months.

However, due to Tran’s family circumstances and lack of criminal history, the sentence was suspended on a $500, two year good behaviour bond.

Originally published as Drug courier Truc-Hung Tran avoids jail after entangling wife Yasmin El-Masri in enterprise