Queensland’s biggest cocaine busts, dealers and traffickers | List
Party boys, ex-bikies, gym owners, real estate agents – meet some of the people helping Queenslanders get hooked in record numbers.
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The party boy who knew no boundaries; the bikie and gym boss who couldn’t shake his old ways; the itinerant farmhand with nothing left to lose – these are just some of the people behind the massive cocaine industry targeting Queenslanders.
As part of News Corp Australia’s national ‘Powder Keg’ series, we have dug through the archives to show you the mules, middle men and masterminds Queensland Police have declared war on, as well as some of the biggest cocaine busts of the past decade.
THE KEY PLAYERS
DANIEL MILOS
Former Fig Tree Pocket restaurateur Daniel Bernard Milos, 44, pleaded guilty to 13 charges, including ten counts of supplying cocaine, in the Supreme Court in Brisbane last April.
Milos, owner of fancy Sherwood Rd, Toowong noshery Mariosarti, used the cover of his legitimate business to traffic an extraordinary amount of cocaine, reportedly described by Queensland Police as requiring “one of the state’s largest cocaine investigations” to bust.
Milos trafficked the drug between February – April 2017, selling $128,000 worth of cocaine to undercover officers during eight ‘controlled buys’.
Police found 138g of cocaine in his car when he was arrested and a further 201g in his laundry room cupboard.
Memorably, in October 2016, Milos directed head chef Ryan David McIver to supply a customer with a “full feed of ragu” stuffed into an Uber Eats bag, the phrase being code for cocaine.
Code words for buying drugs from Milos at the restaurant were “full feed, half feed, ragout or ragu and “table of eight”.
Milos’ sentence was suppressed.
McIver was sentenced to two years’ jail, to be suspended after serving three months.
LEE UNDY
Lee Undy, a former Bandido OMCG sergeant-at-arms in Melbourne with a 15-year Victorian criminal history, moved to Port Douglas in 2013.
Despite a quiet six years, in which he became the owner of Port Douglas Gym, in January 2018 Undy fell into his old ways when he was approached by local man Christian Webb, whom he befriended at a baby shower, for assistance in sourcing cocaine which could be dealt across the region.
Undy used his Melbourne contacts to provide 1kg to Webb, who travelled to Victoria to collect it in 2017.
Cairns Supreme Court heard in February this year that Undy also supplied another large amount of cocaine to Webb several months later.
Undy ultimately pleaded guilty to two counts of drug supply and one count of contravening an order after refusing to give police access to his mobile phone.
He was sentenced to eight years’ jail and will be eligible for parole in February 2023.
Webb was sentenced to three years’ jail with immediate parole.
N.B. Lee Undy no longer owns or has any interest in Port Douglas Gym. New owners Taylor and Hamish Melody bought the business in 2019.
ALISHA ROBINSON
Paddington real estate agent Alisha Erin Robinson, 32, pleaded guilty in Brisbane Supreme Court in April this year to four offences, including cocaine supply and possessing 9.8g of pure cocaine within 28g of substance.
Robinson, a realtor with a swanky New Farm agency, fell into drug offending after the untimely death of her partner, owner and head chef at Woolloongabba pizza joint Sorellina Pizzeria, in 2019, the court heard.
Her offending involved dealing an “eight-ball” (i.e. 4g) of cocaine to an undercover officer at Brighton, where she was living with her mother at the time, on May 4 last year, and possessing cocaine, $550 cash and digital scales when a search warrant was executed on June 14.
The officer had been put in contact with Redcliffe-born Robinson when the target of an undercover operation targeting drug trafficking put forward her details.
Justice Jean Dalton sentenced Robinson to two years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for a period of two years, recognising her impressive steps towards rehabilitation.
MATT HILTON
Cairns cocaine kingpin Matt Hilton lived the life of Riley: luxury cars, sleek speedboats, designer clothes, overseas trips to Las Vegas and a plush inner-city apartment.
However, it all came crashing down on February 12 last year, when he was sentenced to 10-and-a-half years’ imprisonment for trafficking in steroids, cocaine, crystal meth and ecstasy (MDMA) pills between March 1, 2016 and January 3, 2018.
The fitness trainer, former hairdresser and nightclub security company owner who boasted more than 11,000 followers on Instagram was undone by a covert two-year sting by police using phone taps and a listening device planted in his car.
It revealed him as a “wholesale” party drug dealer with links to a sophisticated organised crime racket operating between Sydney and Cairns.
During his sentence, Crown prosecutor Nathan Crane told the court Hilton was known for his cocaine having a “diesel smell of signature quality” of up to 63 per cent purity.
Hilton sold by the ounce and “jumped on it” or “cut it” one-to-one using substances like creatine to double the amount and sold it for $300 a gram or wholesale for $6500 an ounce, the court was told.
It was claimed Hilton was a “superhuman” user of the drug, who consumed up to a quarter of all he imported north, up to an ounce per month, although this was doubted by Justice Jim Henry.
NICHOLAS HAM
Logan Reserve man Nicholas Barry Ham, 25, was jailed for five years, suspended after serving 12 months, for a range of drug offences stemming from when he lived at Carindale with his then-girlfriend.
Ham pleaded guilty to offences including trafficking in MDMA and cocaine, possessing 379 MDMA capsules, 10.7g of powder containing 7.05g pure cocaine, and squirrelling away $99,250 cash throughout his home.
Ham had been trafficking MDMA and cocaine for 10 months between December 2018 – October 2019.
Brisbane Supreme Court in April this year heard how Ham was so addicted to drugs he gave himself seizures and a psychosis.
Justice Jean Dalton told the court Ham had numerous warning signs along the way that he needed to turn his life around, including that he gave himself pancreatitis from alcohol abuse, as well as seizures and psychosis from his heavy drug use, and yet he did not heed the warnings.
MICHAEL CURTIS
Itinerant farmhand Michael Alexander Curtis was jailed for nine years for a cack-handed attempt to smuggle an extraordinary amount of cocaine into Australia from Thailand.
The Brisbane Supreme Court in April this year heard Curtis attempted to smuggle 3.8kg of pure cocaine in 4.5kg of substance, which was glued into the lining of three suitcases, on March 21 last year.
However, his attempt at smuggling was no match for Border Force agents Gold Coast Airport who were, admittedly, presented with a soft target: Curtis’ three suitcases contained “minimal clothing”, glue was still clearly visible on the bags’ lining, and the suitcases were suspiciously heavy and clearly “bulging” in the middle.
Legal Aid counsel Ed Whitton described it as a “tragedy” his unremarkable client, who had little criminal history, had agreed to courier the drugs.
“He agreed to do something which was bafflingly stupid,” Mr Whitton said.
“It was almost certain he would be detected.
“The packaging was rudimentary and appeared to be bulging.”
Curtis was required to serve at least five years and three months behind bars before being eligible for parole.
ANTHONY DOLAN
Tallebudgera man Anthony Patrick Dolan, 25, a former student of prestigious Villanova College at Coorparoo, trafficked an extraordinary amount of cannabis, MDMA, prescription pills and cocaine to help fund his $8000-a-week cocaine addiction.
Brisbane Supreme Court heard in May this year Dolan became addicted to the drug after he was let go from his job as an electrician due to a diagnosis of epilepsy, which prevented him from driving to jobs.
Dolan’s period of trafficking spanned from April 2019 – April 5, 2019, when he was arrested at his former Carina address.
He was discovered in possession of more than 200g of MDMA, 8kg of cannabis, grams of cocaine, cash, and cartons of prescription medication.
He told cops he had been selling cannabis for about a year but had recently expanded to heavier drugs as his cocaine addiction spiralled, reaching up to one ounce per week.
Defence counsel Anthony Kimmins told the court his client had suffered extra-curial punishment in the form of a November 2020 home invasion at the hands of people chasing a drug debt in which he suffered extensive injuries including an amputated toe.
He was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, suspended after serving 12 months.
Dolan was also placed on three years’ probation.
ADAM HOLFORD
Queensland house restumper turned cocaine trafficker Adam James Holford targeted selling opportunities like State of Origin night to achieve a failed dream of owning a Lambo, Brisbane Supreme Court heard in May this year.
The Deception Bay man pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine and possessing dangerous drugs.
Holford’s period of drug trafficking spanned 11 months from November 2018 – October 2018.
Crown prosecutor Geoff Seaholme said Halford supplied coke on at least 23 occasions but there were probably more.
“The defendant focused on opportunities such as weekends and sporting events like the State of Origin,” he said.
“He expressed a desire to become rich from the business and wanting to purchase luxury items such as Louis Vuitton handbags for his partner and a Lamborghini.”
In October 2018 police raided his home at Deception Bay and a unit he kept in Mango Hill.
Police found $40,000 in $100 bills in a safe at Deception Bay, clip seal bags, cutting agent, scales, $10,000 in a bedroom dresser and a further $7,450 along with a Taser.
Holford was sentenced to four years’ prison, to be suspended after 16 months, and three years’ probation.
THE BIGGEST COCAINE BUSTS OF THE DECADE
NOVEMBER 13, 2011
Four Spanish nationals were arrested and charged with importing 300kg of cocaine into Queensland after a raid on a yacht at Bundaberg Marina on November 13, 2011.
The cocaine seizure was believed to be the fifth largest in Australia at the time and worth an estimated $78 million at wholesale value.
More than $3.5 million of cash was also seized in operations in Bundaberg, Gold Coast and Sydney.
AFP national manager of serious crime and organised crime Assistant Commissioner Kevin Zuccato said the drugs had been hidden in the hull of the yacht Friday Freedom which had left Vanuatu on October 14.
He said at the time it was not clear where the drugs had originated from but was “pretty confident that they came from South America”.
AUGUST 24, 2015
Police swooped on a Coomera marina overnight on August 24, 2015, where 70kg of cocaine was found during a raid of a moored yacht.
Australian Federal Police conducted the targeted raid with help the Australian Bordering Force and Queensland Police teams, including the Major Organised Crime Squad.
Crews raided ‘The Solay’ last night which was allegedly involved in transporting large quantities of cocaine from South America to Australia.
Detective Superintendent Jon Wacker said the cocaine was likely intended for a high-end clientele, given its purity level of more than 80 per cent.
The drugs had an estimated street value of more than $17 million, he said.
AFP Manager Organised Crime Commander David Stewart said the bust would be a “huge setback” for the international syndicate and likely curb the supply of cocaine throughout the east coast of Australia.
“Organised crime is actually a global enterprise,” he said.
JULY 31, 2018
A jury of ten women and two men found Dru Baggaley guilty on April 1 this year of attempting to import $200m worth of cocaine into Australia on July 31, 2018 and that brother Nathan, a former Olympic kayaker, helped him in his bid to smuggle drugs dropped by South American men from a foreign freighter 360km off the coast of Byron Bay.
Nathan, a three-time world champion and dual Olympian, and his younger sibling Dru, have been in and out of jail for drug crimes for more than a decade and in prison on remand since they were arrested on the attempted cocaine importation charges in 2019 and 2018 respectively.
The pair proclaimed their innocence throughout, with Dru claiming he was kidnapped and forced to take part against his will, and was duped into thinking it was tobacco.
Nathan claimed he had no idea that Dru was involved in anything illegal and had only helped his brother by arranging the purchase of the $107,000 high-powered boat used to bring in the drugs.
Nathan claimed he thought the boat was going to be used for Dru’s new whale watching business.
The duo are yet to be sentenced.
MARCH 4–6, 2021
A cocaine racket run across inner city and greater Brisbane was disrupted after a year-long operation that saw 20 people charged with hundreds of offences and more than $1 million of cash, drugs and property seized.
Queensland Police Brisbane Criminal Investigation Branch announced Operation Sierra Virtuous disrupted a significant drug trafficking network across Fortitude Valley, New Farm and Greater Brisbane.
Police alleged members of the drug syndicate used licensed premises and restaurants in the areas to supply cocaine and methamphetamine.
Detective Inspector Glen Farmer from the City Valley Crime Group said the operation “has been a major disruption in a well-organised cocaine drug supply network”.
Police said a total of 20 people were arrested and charged with 303 drug and property offences between them.
Over the past two days police executed 15 search warrants and arrested ten people, aged between 25 and 55.
Seven people were charged with trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine.
Many of those charged are yet to enter pleas.
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