Alexandra Karanfilovski acquitted of attempting to possess $2.7m meth parcel
A jury has found a disability worker not guilty of knowing there was supposed to be 4.2kg of ice inside a package of ready-made meals delivered to her south Sydney house from the US.
St George Shire Standard
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A disability worker has embraced her mother moments after she was acquitted over her involvement in the importation of $2.7m worth of drugs.
Alexandra Karanfilovski, 26, defended a charge of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs at a Sydney District Court trial.
The jury deliberated for about 20 minutes on Tuesday morning before unanimously returning a verdict of not guilty.
Karanfilovski immediately hugged her mother tightly upon hearing the verdict before the jury was discharged.
The court heard the central issue in the trial was if Karanfilovski was reckless about her knowledge that the contents of a package delivered to her house contained border-controlled drugs.
The court heard the central issue in the trial was if Karanfilovski knew there were border-controlled drugs in a package delivered to her house.
Karanfilovski’s best friend Israh Chahine, who also lives at Arncliffe, and two male associates Adam Ayshan and Mohamad Hawchar were also arrested for their roles and all charged with the same offence.
According to a statement of agreed facts read to the jury, Australian Border Force officials examined a consignment containing 12 ration packets of ready-made meals including pasta sauce, which actually contained a total of 4.2kg of meth that was sent from Orange County in California and addressed to Chahine on May 5, 2020.
NSW Police replaced the drugs with an inert substance and an undercover police operative conducted a controlled delivery to Karanfilovski’s home at Station St, Arncliffe, on May 13.
The court heard Karanfilovski drove the package to Chahine’s home before Chahine drove it to Ayshan’s Roselands house.
Chahine received $2000 for her and Karanfilovski to split in half, as opposed to the $3000 Chahine originally was told she would get, the court was told.
The women, along with Ayshan and Hawchar, were arrested that day.
The court heard Karanfilovski admitted she lied to police when she claimed she thought the package contained make up but then on the stand acknowledged she thought the package contained human growth hormones.
The court heard Karanfilovski agreed to receive the package when Chahine asked her to on behalf of Ayshan in early April, because Karanfilovski would be at home.
Karanfilovski told the court she had a conversation with Chahine on May 5 when Chahine said Ayshan had told her his parcel contained human growth hormone, which was illegal.
Chahine told Karanfilovski that Ayshan would give Chahine $1000 and Karanfilovski would receive $2000 “for the inconvenience of the lie”.
Barrister Tom Hughes submitted Karanfilovski was told by Chahine the package was coming from interstate but was in Australia, not from the US.
Outside court following the verdict, Karanfilovski said she was relieved with the verdict and thanked her family and lawyers for their support.
“I wanted to thank everyone who has been there for me,” Karanfilovski said through her high profile lawyer Ahmed Dib.
“It has been the hardest period of my life.
“I want to thank my lawyers Ahmed Dib and Lina Ishak, and barrister Tom Hughes.
“The truth always has a way of coming out.”
Chahine pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years and 10 months in jail, with a minimum of 16 months, in August.
Ayshan and Hawchar also pleaded guilty and were sentenced to four years and 10 months and four years and eight months in jail respectively in 2021.
They will be eligible for parole after two years and six months and two years and four months.
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