Special investigation: How an ‘inside job’ to extract drugs from shipping containers unfolded
Forklift drivers and rail operators allegedly carried out an “inside job”, moving and extracting drugs stashed inside shipping containers. Read how police allege it unfolded.
Forklift drivers and rail operators allegedly carried out an “inside job”, moving and extracting drugs stashed inside shipping containers, after criminals infiltrated our biggest port with the lure of a massive payday.
Inside the Port Botany base of multinational logistics giant DP World, four workers with clean criminal records were allegedly recruited to manipulate the location of shipping containers packed full of cocaine and vapes.
In the walls and ceilings of legitimate freight shipments, police allege drugs were hidden – an increasingly common trend used by underworld gangs.
Shane Paki, 38, Whaiora Nehi Moeke, 39, Vanessa Taylor, 41, and Lachlan Coldwell, 25, all allegedly used their positions as “trusted insiders” at DP World to try and move drugs from these hijacked freight containers in August. They are now each facing charges of importing a commercial quantity of border controlled drug and possessing a commercial quantity of unlawful import.
Police claim the drugs had a street value of $164 million.
But when two of the four workers were arrested by federal police under Strike Force Paiporta, they quickly realised the potential trouble they could be in.
“Damn f--k are the cops coming for me too? I didn’t do anything … Don’t say anything Ness,” Moeke allegedly told his colleague Vanessa Taylor before their arrests.
For the first time, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal details of the allegations made against the workers, and how police believe they used their inside knowledge to track shipments, move containers high into stacks and into quiet areas to avoid detection and even try to pay workers from other docks.
SHIPMENT ONE
In court documents seen by the Sunday Telegraph, it is alleged forklift drivers Paki and Moeke became involved in the alleged smuggling operation in April this year, when a container with more than 67kg of cocaine was sent from Canada to Sydney.
The drugs had been seized in New Caledonia. However, police allege it was the pair’s job to locate the container upon its arrival to DP World, and move it “high into the container stacks” – away from other workers – to retrieve at a later date.
SHIPMENT TWO
Days later, another shipment arrived, this time from Colombia. It allegedly contained 140kg of cocaine stashed in the roof.
In court documents, police allege Paki brought an unknown person into DP World early in the morning on April 30, to retrieve the drugs. He was allegedly captured on CCTV as he used his forklift to move the container to a discreet location.
Then Coldwell stepped in. He was employed as a DP World surveyor and allegedly used a work vehicle to move the drugs from the container to the carpark and into his car at the end of his shift.
SHIPMENT THREE
As well as drugs, police allege that criminals used the ports to import illegal vapes.
In August, a haul of vapes was sent to a shipping yard in Moorebank – not at Port Botany where Paki had expected, police allege.
Using his contacts in the industry, police alleged he reached out to a mate at the Moorebank holding yard asking how to get access in exchange for cash but, ultimately, court documents allege the retrieval mission was a “failure”.
It was stopped by police before Paki could even lay eyes on it, after reports were made about would-be thieves cutting a hole in the fences near the container.
SHIPMENT FOUR
Paki and his suspected associates were allegedly caught red-handed during their most ambitious job yet on August 31, when they tried to extract 506kg of cocaine from a Finnish ship.
In the documents, police allege the drugs arrived on-board the Oluf Maersk freight ship from Finland and had been hidden behind the walls of a red shipping container that arrived at DP World on August 29.
Police allege DP World rail operator Vanessa Taylor allegedly used her secure login to check on the movements of the container as it journeyed into Sydney.
She had allegedly been brought into the fold by Paki, who advised her to “keep her mouth shut”, according to court documents.
The extraction was set to occur in the early hours of August 30, with Moeke allegedly caught on CCTV moving the container to a “pinning area” at DP World, where containers are usually stored prior to transport.
“Block off both sides of the box,” Paki allegedly told him. “There might be a bit of noise there so I can just work around there so it doesn’t echo. I better not get caught.”
Police allege “blocking” the container would make it impossible for anyone to inspect it without moving the adjacent containers. It’s alleged Paki then moved the container to the mechanical area – used to store end-of-life containers which are to be sold to third parties.
Coldwell was back in business for this mission, police allege, tasked with extracting the drugs.
But at 2.05am on Australian Federal Police arrived at the facility and allegedly caught Coldwell leaving the container, despite Paki allegedly warning him they had company
“Bro get out … People walking around … Sece (security) coming,” he wrote.
After arresting Coldwell, police opened the container and allegedly found the drug extraction under way, with bricks of coke behind the dummy walls.
He was charged with import commercial quantity of border controlled drug and possess commercial quantity of border controlled drug. Paki was arrested 10 minutes later and charged with the same offences.
News of their arrests spread quickly, with Taylor and Moeke panicking that they would be next.
They were arrested in the days following and also charged.
None of the alleged offenders have pleaded to the charges and all are out on bail.
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