Brothers Aaron and Nathan Muscat sentenced over drug operation between Sydney and Mudgee

Two siblings from Mudgee have learnt their fate in court after a year-long police operation uncovered a drug ring stretching all the way from Sydney to Mudgee. Here’s how it unfolded.

Two heavily-tattooed brothers involved in a “joint” family operation which saw the older sibling in Sydney sending drugs to his brother to distribute in the state’s central west have been sentenced.

Nathan Luke Muscat, 32, and Aaron Muscat, 23, appeared in Dubbo District Court on Thursday after they were arrested in March 2021 following a police investigation.

Nathan pleaded guilty to three charges which included supplying prohibited a drug greater than commercial quantity – 289.48 grams of cocaine – supplying prohibited drug greater than indictable quantity and sending controlled drugs by post, and dealing with the proceeds of crime.

Aaron and Nathan Muscat were sentenced in Dubbo District Court on Thursday. Supplied

His younger brother Aaron also entered guilty pleas to supply prohibited drugs on an ongoing basis, supply prohibited drugs more than the indictable quantity and supply prohibited drug greater than the commercial quantity.

The court heard from Judge Craig Smith, who outlined a summary of the agreed facts tendered to Dubbo District Court.

In September 2020, police established a Strike Force to investigate the supply of prohibited drugs between Western Sydney, Wollongong and Mudgee, intercepting phone calls and using witnesses.

During this time, Nathan lived in Rouse Hill while Aaron resided in Mudgee, and the two brothers were involved in a supply operation.

Their modus operandi saw Nathan sourcing the drugs and providing them to Aaron by delivering them in person or sending them through the Australia Post.

Judge Smith said “drugs were regularly processed” and that “Nathan and Aaron would then split the profit between them”.

As a way of maximising their use of the drugs, the brothers would often “cut” it with creatine.

During the “intercepted calls”, the brothers would discuss the quantity of drugs supplied and the location of where it was sold, with Nathan ensuring Aaron “would have enough drugs for the next week”.

Brothers Nathan and Aaron Muscat have been sentenced over a drug ring they ran between Sydney and Mudgee. Photo: Supplied

On February 4 last year, at about 10.30am, police executed a search warrant at Mudgee Post Office, with Nathan’s fingerprints later identified on a package containing 18.54 grams of cocaine.

“Between February 5 [and] February 12, 2021, [the brothers] made a variety of phone calls between them as to the whereabouts of the package,” Judge Smith said.

The following month on March 17, Nathan and Aaron were arrested at their respective addresses.

During a search at Aaron’s house, police seized “14 bags, 11 of which were cocaine”, weighing 9.64 grams and a total of $1905.

Drugs seized Aaron Muscat’s house in Mudgee. Photo: Supplied

Police found $2550 in the wallet of Nathan’s partner.

Judge Smith was satisfied with the Crown’s written submission, accepting that Nathan and Aaron were “jointly involved” and an identical sentence was “appropriate”.

“Speaking more generally [about] all the material before me, I accept the offenders were significant users of drugs,” Judge Smith said.

Despite this, Judge Smith rejected claims from the brother’s legal team, who said the pair did not receive significant financial reward during the operation.

He acknowledged their subjective case, highlighting their difficult upbringing with their “violent” father and their “genuine remorse”.

Brothers Nathan and Aaron Muscat were jailed on Thursday. Photo: Supplied

Ultimately, Judge Smith found full-time jail was the only “appropriate” sentence, locking the brothers up for three years and six months.

“While I accept an intensive corrections order would be more likely to reduce each individual offender’s risk of reoffending … in my view, only full-time imprisonment will address the need for adequate punishment,” Judge Smith said.

Due to time already served and time in residential rehabilitation declared as “quasi-custody”, Nathan’s sentence will expire on June 5, 2025.

He has a non-parole period of two years and will be eligible for release on December 5 next year.

Aaron’s sentence will also be backdated due to time served, and he will be eligible for parole on October 6, 2023.