Bilal Alameddine and Samimjan Azari face sentence after supplying guns, drugs to undercover cop
Two Sydney men, one of which is a relative of convicted terrorist Talal Alameddine, will face sentence after pleading guilty to supplying guns and cocaine to an undercover counter-terror cop.
Parramatta
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The relative of a convicted terrorist, and his friend who were caught supplying more than $100,000 worth of guns and drugs to an undercover counter-terror cop will soon face their sentence after almost three years in confinement.
Bilal Alameddine and Samimjan Azari were both 18 when they were arrested for supplying firearms and drugs across Sydney’s west from May to June 2017.
Alameddine, 21, from Toongabbie — who is the relative of convicted terrorist Talal Alameddine — has pleaded guilty along with co-accused Azari, from Merrylands, to unlawfully supplying firearms and supplying about 500g of cocaine.
Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Court documents state the men supplied seven firearms including a shotgun, bolt action rifle and lever action rifle and 507g of cocaine to an undercover cop M on five different occasions.
“M would request a quantity of firearms and cocaine by text message to the offender Azari,” agreed facts state.
The two men would then drive to an agreed location in their white Toyota Aurion where they would trade the guns and cocaine for cash.
On their first meeting on May 5, 2017, Alameddine and Azari met M at a Guildford street before Alameddine got in the back seat of a car and removed a 9mm desert eagle pistol and two empty boxes of magazines from his pants, according to police facts.
“M handed Azari $28,000 cash as payment.”
During the exchange, Azari said: “That’s my cousin Bill. We got stumpies (snub nose revolver) if you want.”
Alameddine said: “We got snub nose revolvers, the thirty eights. They’re nice ones.”
He then asked M if they had perfume to “wipe down” the desert eagle pistol.
“You got perfume…I’ll spray a bit of perfume on it…just DNA that’s why,” he said in the agreed facts.
On another occasion Azari supplied M $32,000 worth of cocaine which was packaged in “vacuum sealed plastic packets.”
On 30 June 2017, police swooped on the pair at a Bunnings carpark in Lidcombe and seized Blackberry mobile phones, 283g of cocaine and about $70,000 in cash.
In a subsequent search, “two green heart shaped tablets” later confirmed to be MDMA and $51,840 suspected to be the proceeds of crime were seized from Azari’s Merrylands home.
In court, both Alameddine and Azari sat quietly as they appeared via audio-visual link for their sentence hearing at Parramatta District Court on Wednesday.
On top of his principal drug and gun supply charges, Alameddine pleaded guilty from Long Bay Correctional Prison to three form one offences; supplying ammunition and two counts of supplying a pistol part on Tuesday.
And Azari pleaded guilty to six form one offences relating to the unauthorised supply of pistol parts, ammunition, and the MDMA and cash found in his home after the search warrant.
In his submissions on Wednesday, Alameddine’s lawyer Peter Lange told the court that no items of interest were seized from the offender’s home after the execution of the search warrant which should be taken into account in assessing the role he played.
“Are you saying that underlies your submission in his subordinate role?” Judge Hanley said.
Mr Lange replied: “Yes”.
Crown prosecutor Monica Knowles told the court Alameddine was not just the driver, but he made “instructive” comments during the transactions showing his level of “knowledge.”
In his defence, Mr Lange said the offender was a “high risk inmate” and had an NSI (national security) classification which imposed more restrictions to visits from family and friends.
He said Alameddine was in a private cell which added to his “stress” and “anxiety” and said it would dissipate once, and if, he would be released on parole.
Azari’s defence counsel Bart Vasic told the court that the NSI classification meant his client would have restricted access to rehabilitation programs in custody and said such programs would be available if he were granted parole.
Mr Vasic asked for that issue to be taken into account as “special circumstances” saying that in the case he was granted parole he would have a family and home to go to which would help in his rehabilitation.
He told the court his “youthfulness” should be taken into account being 18 at the time of the offence.
Judge Hanley asked for an explanation on how the men got involved with such “serious offences.”
“How does two young men gravitate towards such serious offences with no background?” he told the court.
“It just concerns me. How does that happen?”
“It’s not as though they come from bad families, I hear they come from very good families…law-abiding families.”
Mr Vasic said: “There is no explanation as to how.”
The judge told the court the firearm offences were “very serious” and said Azari didn’t just get involved, but “embraced” the role.
Mr Vasic accepted there was a “degree of enthusiasm reflected” yet said Azari was likely to have got involved due to his “immaturity” and “lack of judgement” at the time.
Crown prosecutor Ms Knowles disputed the defence submissions that Azari wouldn’t have access to programs saying case notes allege he declined to take part in a previous one.
She said “caution” would have to be taken to conclude an NSI classification would not allow him to participate in programs.
The matter has been adjourned next week for sentence.