Davide Calava sentenced over 2023 drug supply

A man from Sydney’s north shore who unwittingly sold MDMA to undercover police operatives in a supermarket carpark was later found with half a kilo of ketamine, a court heard.

Davide Calava leaves John Maddison Tower on Wednesday.

A man who unwittingly sold MDMA to undercover cops from the boot of his car in a Harris Farm carpark was later found with half a kilo of ketamine, a court has heard.

Crows Nest man Davide Calava, 38, faced the Downing Centre Local Court, sitting at John Maddison Tower, on Wednesday after pleading guilty to two counts of deemed drug supply, and one count of supplying an indictable drug.

Calava was busted selling 272 grams worth of the party drug MDMA to a police operative in June 2023 outside a Cammeray supermarket.

The sting was conducted under Strike Force Tromperie, which was set up to topple what police alleged was one of the most powerful organised crime networks in Australian history, which controlled the nation’s illicit drug trade.

An operative working for police posed as a fake customer who was buying the drugs for a $20,000 purchase price.

Calava was sentenced to an intensive corrections order.

The court heard Calava “retrieved a package of drugs from his pants” before placing them in the boot of a car, along with $3000 in cash, during the set up.

A search warrant of Calava’s Crows Nest address, executed upon his arrest, also uncovered 68.61 grams of cocaine and 582.30 grams of ketamine, which were deemed as being for supply purposes.

On Wednesday, the court heard at the time of the offending Calava was in the grips of a serious opioid addiction, which he has since sought treatment for.

Magistrate Paul Blunt noted Calava’s opioid use was a “significant factor” in his offending, which he was doing in exchange for drugs.

Magistrate Blunt also noted the offending was aggravated by Calava being on a conditional release order at the time, for a separate unrelated charge requiring him to be of good behaviour.

In sentencing Magistrate Blunt noted Calava had good prospects for rehabilitation, given his successful attempts at rehabilitating himself and limited prior criminal record.

He was given an aggregate sentence of a two year intensive corrections order, which he intends on appealing in October.