Alexandra Karanfilovski on trial for attempted meth importation

A young woman accused of participating in an attempt to import $2.7 million of meth has sobbed as she said she did not know the package she agreed to accept contained drugs.

Alexandra Karanfilovski.

A young woman on trial over her alleged participation in efforts to import $2.7 million of methamphetamines from the United States has sobbed as she swore she did not know she was involving herself with illegal drugs.

Alexandra Karanfilovski cried repeatedly as she was cross-examined over allegations she agreed to accept a package in exchange for $1000 which she says she believed was human growth hormone – but was in fact an effort to import meth.

Karanfilovski is defending one charge of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of the drug at trial at Sydney District Court in relation to an alleged conspiracy dating back to 2020.

The Crown alleges Karanfilovski, her friend Israh Chahine, and two male acquaintances were involved in a scheme to import the illegal drugs in a box of rations from the United States.

Alexandra Karanfilovski leaves the Downing Centre court in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

The young woman’s alleged role in the scheme was to receive the package – which was addressed to Chahine – from Orange County in California at her Arncliffe home.

Karanfilovski has pleaded not guilty on the basis she was initially not aware the package contained anything untoward at all – and was only ever ultimately told it contained human growth hormone, which is not a border-controlled drug.

During cross-examination on her evidence at court, Karanfilovski repeatedly broke down in tears as she reiterated her belief the package contained human growth hormone, not meth.

“I’ve never had a police interview, never been arrested, my mum who raised me is sitting across from me in a courtroom, do you expect me to not be emotional?” Karanfilovski sobbed.

“I made a promise to God and I’m speaking my truth – I was too scared to tell the police the truth.”

Alexandra Karanfilovski (blonde). Picture: Toby Zerna

Karanfilovski’s remarks came after she gave evidence she had been repeatedly “untruthful” in a police interview after her arrest about her knowledge of the package and its contents.

She said she had not told the truth then as she was not under oath and was “scared” and “in a state of panic” – but that she was telling the truth under oath in court that she believed the package contained human growth hormone.

In her police interview, Karanfilovski explained away her use of the code word “foundation” in tapped phone calls with Chahine as being about doing Chahine’s make-up for a date.

In court, she ultimately conceded “foundation” was a code word for what she then believed was human growth hormone – but was instead an inert substance police had substituted for a quantity of meth they had previously removed.

Alexandra Karanfilovski arrives at Downing Centre Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

The court also heard tapped phone calls between Karanfilovski and Chahine in which they discussed the contents of the package which was ultimately delivered to Karanfilovski’s address and picked up by Chahine.

In the phone call, Chahine told Karanfilovski they would each receive $1000 for their participation in the delivery, instead of the $2000 initially promised to Karanfilovski.

“I don’t want to do it again for one grand,” Karanfilovski is heard saying to Chahine.

“I opened the package … f–ken oath I did, it was tomato marinara sauce and, like, herbs and spices from America,” Chahine responds.

“I planned to do s–t with the money they said they were going to give us,” Karanfilovski later says.

“Ya Allah,” Chahine responds.

The trial continues.