Narara: Gavin Ummesh Anura Sant, 38, sentenced for commercial drug supply

A man, who went by the username “Curry Puff” on encrypted apps, used rented vans and systematically deleted chats every six days as part of a sophisticated drug network, a court has heard.

Drug dealer Gavin Sant, 38, of Narara, aka "Curry Puff" has been sentenced for his role in a sophisticated drug syndicate. Picture: Supplied

A former shopfitter and joiner who became hooked on drugs and betting – and could blow up to $35,000 on a gambling bender — has been sentenced for his “trusted” role in a sophisticated drug network.

Gavin Ummesh Anura Sant, 38, of Narara, faced Gosford District Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to knowingly dealing with $66,000 cash being the proceeds of crime, two counts of supplying prohibited drugs and one count of supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.

He also pleaded guilty to three other related offences that were taken into account when he was sentenced including participating in a criminal group and two counts of possessing small amounts of illicit drugs.

An agreed set of facts states police were granted a warrant to search Sant’s house on the Pacific Highway, Narara, about midday on April 7, 2022, where they found a black metal safe, another lockbox, a yellow cardboard box, an electronic money counter and a vacuum bag sealer.

Sant arrived home about an hour later in a rented white Toyota Hiace and he was arrested.

A search of him uncovered two mobile phones and $850 cash, while a search of the van produced a Lego box behind the front seats containing $14,000 cash.

Sant was sentenced in Gosford District Court on Wednesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

Sant told police one of the phones wasn’t his and he didn’t know the code to open it and that he had never seen the Lego box before.

However the court heard by his guilty pleas he confirmed this wasn’t the case.

Sant returned home in a rented white Toyota Hiace van similar to this one pictured.

As it turns out the phone he said he couldn’t open had a family photo of his as its home screen and police were able to unlock it using the same personal identification number as he used for the other phone.

The facts state all up in the house and van police found more than $66,000 cash, 241.24g of meth, 42.85g of cocaine and 4.971kg of pseudoephedrine as well as two smaller quantities of “ice”.

An examination of the phones found Sant went by the username “Curry Puff” on three encrypted messaging apps and had extensive messages with “upline” suppliers and customers who used the usernames “Safe Logistics”, “Elon Musk”, “Mr Frostie00” and “Ace12345”.

The facts state the phones contained an “overwhelming number” of photos of large quantities of drugs and cash police allege were supplied by the network and the apps were set up to automatically delete “chats” after six days.

Sant was caught with nearly 5kg of pseudoephedrine. (File image)

The court heard Sant had a “happy childhood” but developed a drug and gambling addiction after he divorced from his wife in 2022 and could blow up to $35,000 in a single betting binge.

Judge Tanya Bright said the facts “clearly disclose serious objective criminality” and found Sant “worked full-time for a sophisticated drug supply network” that regularly changed rented vehicles used to distribute the drugs and employed extensive encrypted apps to hide their communications.

Sant also had more than $66,000 cash, which he pleaded guilty to being the proceeds of crime. (file image)

“I am satisfied the offender was significantly involved in the distribution of prohibited drugs,” she said.

“He had a trusted role that was evident in the amount of drugs and cash found at his premises.”

Judge Bright sentenced Sant to seven years jail with a non-parole period of three years and six months jail.

With time already served since his arrest he will be eligible for release on October 6 next year.