Dial-a-dealer cocaine: Kane Sapkovski, Chris Choi, Khedr Zaoud sentenced
Dial-a-dealers have changed the way drugs are dealt in Sydney, with a bag of cocaine just a phone call away. After being busted by cops, we can reveal the inner workings of one such network: From those taking the orders, to the storage house and the drivers working $500 shifts to deliver to the city’s wealthy suburbs.
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Dial-a-dealers looking to ferry cocaine to cashed up Sydney customers are earning up to $500 a day and are being supplied with phones and cars to ply their illegal trade.
The inside story of how criminal networks are flooding the market with drugs, and in turn earning a fortune, has been laid bare in court after the takedown of a major drug gang operating from Sydney’s west.
For the last 18 months NSW Police have launched an aggressive offensive against drug dealers, slapping handcuffs on everyone from Instagram models, destitute young men and corporate high-flyers.
Operation Northrop, run out of the Redfern police command, has been credited with netting the majority of these cocaine dealers who are often selling drugs that are less than 50 per cent pure
However, despite the publicity of the arrests, the lure of fast cars, cash and drugs is still too much for some.
Six players in Sydney’s cocaine trade quietly faced court last week charged for their roles in one of the biggest dial-a-dealer syndicates in Sydney.
The sophisticated operation saw some of the men manning the ‘order phone’ before telling a fleet of drivers where to deliver the drugs.
The drivers were given cars, phones, shifts, zones and the gang operated like a well-oiled machine or an organised established enterprise.
Until police swooped in.
THE ERRAND BOY
Described as “the errand boy” and “a casual employee” by his lawyer Bryan Wrench, Kane Sapkovski had a variety of jobs in the syndicate.
On January 6 2019 he messaged one of the “principals” of the operation for some work, the District Court was told.
He was unemployed and in debt after losing his job in 2019.
Not long after that he found himself delivering drugs across Sydney before being tasked with manning the order phone.
Police surveillance had been watching him the whole time, the court heard, catching him at the home of the operation’s principal where the makeshift call centre would order drivers to customers needing a fix.
The then 23-year-old was earning $400 a day driving the drugs for the syndicate.
In the wake of his arrest, he volunteered to work for Lifeline and now has an apprenticeship as a carpenter with Titan Building Group.
Judge David Arnott found the now 25-year-old has considerably rehabilitated himself both from his criminal antics and from his addiction to drugs.
His moral culpability was reduced after the court heard of his upbringing surrounded by drugs and violence.
After pleading guilty to supplying drugs on an ongoing basis Sapkovski was sentenced to serve his 20 month jail sentence as an intensive corrections order.
THE NEW GUY
A VW Golf supplied to Chris Choi for the purpose of carrying out cocaine deliveries proved to be the key to police busting the syndicate.
Police had bugged his car and surveilled him dealing on 13 consecutive days.
The court was told Choi, 28, was seen handing over the day’s takings to the principals, who referred to him as “the new guy” when they spoke about “business being slow”.
Those conversations led the arrest of the two men at the higher end of the enterprise.
An accident claims worker at a suburban business, Choi joined the group as a delivery driver amid a gambling problem and heavy drinking during a period of unemployment, the court heard.
Over a five-month period he was earning up to $500 a day and was dealing for a total of 58 days.
He told the court two weeks before his arrest that he asked the principals of the operation he wanted to “slow down” but was told to wait a fortnight.
The court heard he was arrested on a delivery with cocaine found hidden in his steering column, a hiding place advised by the group.
Character references tendered described him as a “hard worker” and “diligent” and stated he had shown remorse and contrition, Judge Arnott said.
He was sent to jail for a non-parole period of 14 months after pleading guilty to supplying 886g of cocaine for the group, about $70,000 worth.
THE PRINCIPALS
While stopping short of describing Izac Jacobs and Khedr Zaoud as the group’s leaders, Judge Arnott categorised the men the “principals” of the operation.
The men organised their fleet of drivers into zones – west, central and east – servicing customers and raking in about $10,000 a day.
Most often it was Jacobs who took orders on the phone, passing them onto their six drivers who would work 12 hour shifts.
The drivers, the court was told, were given their drugs and handed over takings to Zaoud and Jacobs at the end of their shifts.
Both would refill the drivers of their drugs once they had sold their stash.
In one recorded conversation in the VW Golf supplied to Choi, Zaoud warned there was a police car around and to “be careful”.
The court heard the drugs supplied by the pair to their drivers would often only be of about 50 per cent purity and intercepted calls revealed the group was keeping track of which customers were taking drugs on credit.
Zaoud claimed to be “just an employee”, the court heard, earning $2000 a week.
Both were sent to jail for a non-parole period of four years after pleading guilty to supplying a commercial quantity of cocaine.
THE STORAGE MAN
For nearly seven weeks in 2019 Salah Deeb stored the bulk of the group’s cocaine in his Merrylands townhouse, namely his freezer and coffee table.
The District Court was told his role would be to package the drugs, cut them and wait for the syndicate’s organisers to pick it up. They would then hand the drugs over to drivers at the group’s base – a suburban home in nearby Guildford.
Deeb was introduced to the group, the court was told, after racking up gambling debts to a loan shark thanks to his penchant for pokie machines.
Now living in a shed in Young on his family’s plum farm, Deeb has gone into business with his brother selling fresh fruit at markets.
Since being released on bail Deeb has also been doing charity work with the St Vincent’s de Paul Society.
“He wants to give back and help those who need it… he has lived up to this,” Judge Arnott said.
He was ordered to serve a 21-month jail term as an intensive corrections order after pleading guilty to supplying 929g of cocaine.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
When George Mandilis, 21, lost his licence he turned to his father Christopher who agreed to drive him around for work.
The only issue was George’s line of work was delivering drugs across Sydney.
A uni student, the court was told George was initially helping at his dad’s fish and chip shop before that legitimate enterprise went under after a family dispute.
George was supplied a black Holden Cruze by the group to make deliveries but when he was no longer allowed to drive, dad Christopher got behind the wheel with his son in tow.
They would complete the deliveries together for three weeks before they were busted with cash and 28 bags of cocaine during a roadside stop in March 2019.
The court was told Christopher had fallen on hard times and only drove to help his son out.
“He became a driver because he was worried about his son’s involvement and he thought he would do it to protect his son and get him out of the situation,” Judge Arnott said.
He was effectively homeless, living out of cars and parks with his sons.
While Christopher was on the books of the group for $100 a day, George was also paying him out of his money from the dealing.
Judge Arnott said both had good prospects of rehabilitation
George Mandilis, who was taking celebratory pictures outside of court, was placed on a five month intensive corrections order.
Both were sentenced for supplying a commercial quantity of drugs. Christopher also avoided serving time in jail. He was sentenced to a 14 month intensive corrections order.
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