Badriah Ismail sentenced for role in drug syndicate run with ex-husband Ahmed Rizk

A woman who laundered more $300,000 — including money stolen from her family — to go towards a cocaine and cannabis syndicate run by her now ex-husband has avoided jail.

Badriah Ismail helped her husband by funnelling more than $300,000 from drug money into her accounts.

Villawood woman Badriah Ismail who laundered $312,000 — including some money from her family — to profit from a drug syndicate run by her now ex-husband has avoided jail.

Ismail appeared for sentencing at Parramatta District Court on October 20 after she pleaded guilty to knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal group for which Ahmed Rizk — the syndicate’s principal operator — is appealing a three-year jail sentence.

Ismail, 31, deposited huge sums of cash made from supplying cannabis and cocaine into ATMs between March and August 2018.

The first deposit into two new ANZ accounts was $100,000 cash. It was one of 55 cash deposits made at Wentworthville and Merrylands ANZ ATMs over five months.

Ismail, who also used the alias Brooke Ismail, was part of the syndicate with seven others and was tasked by her husband to bank the proceeds of drug sales into her personal bank accounts.

The State Crime Command Criminal Groups Squad started investigating the couple, who was then living at Merrylands, from December 2017 when they used surveillance, telephone intercepts and listening devices to record their activities.

Court documents reveal that in May, 2018, Ismail and Rizk were was captured on surveillance talking about cannabis with a member of the syndicate, who was told she made the drug run “rubbish’’.

Badriah Ismail leaves Parramatta District Court on October 20.

In July, Ismail drove her husband to several suburbs across greater Sydney so he could supply cocaine.

“Evidence of this was captured on lawful surveillance devices including a conversation during which the co-offender told the offender that he sold a ‘whole one’ during the day (namely, an ounce of cocaine),’’ court documents state.

Police raided Ismail and Rizk’s former Merrylands home at Heath St on August 2, 2018, a day before she transferred $200,000 into another account via internet banking.

A total of $215,000 was also withdrawn from ANZ branches at Wentworthville, Merrylands, Parramatta, Seven Hills, Blacktown, Fairfield, Chester Hill and Wetherill Park ANZ branches.

Police have not recovered the money.

On November 13, 2018, she handed herself into Bankstown police station but refused an interview.

Police facts tendered to the court reveal Ismail stole from her family as part of the syndicate.

“Ms Ismail asserted that a portion of the money which she had deposited into the bank account belonged to one of her family members,’’ documents state.

“Ms Ismail also admitted that she had also been asked by her ex-partner to deposit a portion of the aforementioned money into the designated accounts, adding that her offending behaviour allegedly resulted from her fear of personal safety in her relationship with her ex-partner.”

The court heard Ismail was vulnerable and suffered mental and physical abuse by Rizk.

She is the second oldest of seven sisters, with the youngest siblings requiring her assistance because of their congenital disability.

The court also heard she suffered post traumatic stress disorder from a car accident in 2016.

Judge Stephen Hanley sentenced Ismail to an intensive correction order for two years and six months.

She is forbidden from taking illegal drugs and must have no association with Rizk.

Her 27-year-old ex husband was sentenced to 3 ½ years behind bars in December for two counts of knowingly taking part in the supply of prohibited drugs (112g of cocaine and 1362g of cannabis).

His sentence appeal was heard last month when judgment was reserved.

Brothers Ali and Hassan Elbourji were also sentenced in December and pleaded guilty to knowingly taking part in the supply of prohibited drugs being an indictable quantity of cocaine (7g).

Ali, 26, was a courier and Hassan, 24, would usually pay him for his services each night.

Hassan was jailed for two years and eight months and Ali was handed a sentence to serve in the community — a two-year intensive correction order and 300 hours’ community service.