Mehmet Ozgen jailed over MDMA and ice import attempt
A young man has received a “horrendous” jail sentence for his role as a “gofer” in one of the biggest international drug importation attempts in Australian history.
Southern Courier
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A man who acted as a gofer for the syndicate behind the biggest attempted ecstasy importation in Australian history has effectively laid his youth to waste after he was sentenced to at least a decade behind bars.
A five-year legal saga has come to a bleak end for Mehmet Ozgen, 28, who was sentenced to a maximum of 16 years’ imprisonment for his role in a thwarted attempt to import 1.38 tonnes of pure MDMA and 630kg of pure methamphetamine worth $1.5 billion from Germany alongside several other men in 2014.
Rugby mates Akuila Bisasa, Joshua Hamlin and Peter Drollet, Rene Arancibia and shipping container company executive Phillip Bishop were also charged in relation to the colossal bust.
Police descended on several members of the operation as they attempted to access the shipping container at a Smithfield storage facility.
Bisasa, Hamlin and Arancibia pleaded guilty to their roles in the syndicate at the first opportunity and received a 25 per cent discount on sentence.
Mascot man Bisasa and Arancibia were sentenced to 16 years’ jail each, while Hamlin, who had only joined the drug operation the day before the police bust, received 11 years and three months.
Rosebery man Drollet was found guilty at trial after previously serving time in prison for importing 6kg of cocaine and jailed for 20 years over his involvement in the massive scheme.
Mr Bishop was found not guilty by a jury.
At Darlinghurst Court Judge John Pickering described Ozgen as being of good character both before and since his fateful decision to involve himself in the largest illegal drug importation in Australian history.
“I do not find it pleasurable in any way to send a man who has started to show some maturity to jail for such a long time,” Judge Pickering said.
“It is such a shame that he involved himself in something that can receive a life sentence - otherwise he would be worthy of leniency.”
Judge Pickering said he was inclined to be lenient with Ozgen - though he noted it would not feel like it given the substantial sentence required.
“This impact of this kind of importation would have been extreme had they been successful,” Judge Pickering said.
“People must be deterred from importing so many illegal drugs - they probably didn’t realise the kinds of horrendous sentences they could get for this.”
Judge Pickering said Ozgen was likely to be a “model prisoner” and had a low risk of reoffending upon his release.
He will be eligible for parole on July 18, 2029.
