Simon Suleski, Salim Nehme: Drug-dealing duo find out fate after $1.5m sting
Two “bottom of the hierarchy” drug dealers involved in selling 1.2kg of cocaine and 846g of meth were caught after a lengthy undercover police investigation.
Illawarra Star
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Two Illawarra drug dealers working for the “Godfather” have been jailed until the end of 2026 for their role in the ”7-Eleven of the drug trade”.
Simon Dimitrija Suleski, 24 and Salim Sam Nehme, 28, were arrested in a Unanderra street in December 2020, following a major undercover operation which connected them to the sale and the pending sale of $1.5 million of illicit drugs.
The duo were involved in selling 1.2kg of cocaine, 846g of meth and 1110g of MDMA, with the transactions occurring between September 2020 and the date of their arrests.
Suleski and Nehme appeared via video link in Wollongong District Court on Thursday to learn their fate following previous guilty pleas to three counts of supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.
The court heard the offenders worked with someone dubbed the “Godfather” using an encrypted messaging app. However, the identity of this person is not known to the court.
Police monitored five transactions carried out by the two men, which saw around $220,000 cash exchange hands over three months.
A police witness had arranged to meet with them in Unanderra to purchase 860g of MDMA, 450g of meth and 470g of coke in a deal worth nearly $270,000.
However, this is when police swooped and arrested the pair and executed a search of their respective addresses.
Suleski was found with more than $3000 cash, 360g of cannabis leaves and an “additional quantity of meth”, while Nehme had $5775 cash and a ”quantity of cocaine”.
Judge Andrew Haesler characterised the pair‘s role in the drug syndicate as at the “bottom of the hierarchy” but noted the drug chain would ”collapse” without on-the-ground dealers.
“Anyone who attempts to involve themselves in any level of the supply of drugs needs to know there will be significant penalties,” Judge Haesler said.
“[The penalties are there] to attempt to protect the community from the impact of the drug trade on individual users and on the economy of the state.
“The larger the amount supplied, the larger the amount of potential profit and the larger the amount of end users impacted upon.
“They involved themselves in organised criminal activity… they played a role in a malicious offence, and for that, they must be punished.”
Suleski sat head bowed down, while Nehme rocked back and forth in his chair as the judge handed down his sentence of five years and six months in jail.
Suleski has a non-parole period of three years and three months, while Nehme has a non-parole period of three years.
With time already served, Suleski and Nehme could be eligible for parole in May 2024 and August 2024, respectively.
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