Drug courier jailed for nine years for his part in multimillion dollar trafficking operation

A former FIFO mine worker and father-of-two has been jailed for his part in a multimillion-dollar trafficking operation that used cars with secret compartments to hide drugs and cash.

A drug courier, who was ferrying kilos of methamphetamines in hidden car compartments, as part of a multimillion dollar trafficking operation, has been sentenced to nine years’ jail.

Emmanuel Petueli Komung, who was paid between $2500 and $5000 a week, personally delivered at least 30 kilograms of methamphetamine to customers over seven months.

The Supreme Court heard the drug trafficking operation sold at least 83 kilograms of the drug in that time, with 50 kilograms having a street value of $5.75 million and $6.6 million.

Komung, 29, a father-of-two, pleaded guilty to trafficking in methamphetamine, cocaine MDMA and GHB, as a participant in a criminal organisation in association with others.

He also pleaded guilty to possession of a mobile phone used in connection with the crime.

Crown prosecutor Caroline Marco said Komung was part of a trafficking operation allegedly headed by Kaine Russell, whose court matters are yet to be finalised.

Komung and another man would collect the drugs, weigh them, repackage them and deliver and collect the payments.

He was given an encrypted phone and a car with hidden compartments and there was a customer base of about 20 people.

Emmanuel Petueli Komung pleaded guilty to trafficking in methamphetamine, cocaine MDMA and GHB.

Evidence obtained by police from the mobile phones of those arrested revealed 105 occasions when at least 50 kilograms of methamphetamines were sold or money collected over seven months.

The traffickers sold in quantities of one ounce to two kilograms and received $2,172,795 from the sale of the drugs in that time, the court heard.

Drugs were sourced from two suppliers on 13 occasions, at a cost of $2,722,000, Ms Marco said.

There was evidence that the business was sourcing drugs at least twice a week, in five kilogram lots, paying $500,000 to $600,000 on each occasion.

On top of that there were sales of a further 33 kilograms of methamphetamine, several ounces of MDMA and cocaine and several litres of GHB.

The business used a storage shed and a pawn shop, allegedly run by Russell as a cover for the drug operation, to store money and drugs, the court was told.

Ms Marco said after Russell’s arrest he asked Komung and two others to get five kilograms of methamphetamine, hidden in a tyre in a shed, which police had not found.

Those drugs were returned to the supplier, the court heard.

Ms Marco said there also was a plan to break into the pawn shop and remove items, in hidden compartments, that police had not found, but someone else broke in and took them first.

Police charged Komung in March, 2020, after they searched his home and found a “tick sheet’’ and his mobile phone.

Justice Martin Burns said the drug trafficking business was large and sophisticated and it sold large wholesale quantities of drugs.

He said there was no doubt that Russell, who paid Komung and others weekly wages, was “the top dog’’.

Justice Burns said Komung went from running innocent errands for Russell to within weeks becoming a drug courier, typically delivering a kilogram of meth at a time, and occasionally two kilos.

The judge said Komung could carry up to four kilograms of drugs in the hidden car compartments.

Justice Burns said since Komung pleaded guilty in early 2021 he had completely co-operated with the police investigation.

He said Komung, who had worked as a FIFO worker doing drilling work for mining companies while on bail, was a hard worker, who was a low risk of reoffending.

On Wednesday Justice Burns sentenced Komung to nine years’ jail, with parole eligibility after he serves three and a half years, and he declared four days he had spent in custody as time served.