Alexandra Karanfilovski on trial in attempt to possess $2.7m of meth in importation

A south Sydney woman will have to wait for a jury to decide whether she could have known she was participating in an attempt to possess $2.7m of meth imported into Australia.

Alexandra Karanfilovski told the jury she believed she was taking delivery of illegal human growth hormone and unbeknown to her was an inert substance replacing 4.2kg of ice. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

A jury has retired to consider the fate of a woman who allegedly participated in accepting an imported parcel of $2.7m worth of methamphetamine from the US.

Alexandra Karanfilovski told the jury she believed she was accepting the delivery of illegal human growth hormone but unbeknown to her, it was an inert substance after police seized 4.2kg of ice.

The 26 year old is defending one charge of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of the drug at trial at Sydney District Court.

Australian Border Force officials examined a consignment containing 12 ration packets of ready-made meals, which actually contained the crystal substance, that was sent from Orange County in California and addressed to Karanfilovki’s best friend Israh Chahine on May 5, 2020.

NSW Police conducted a controlled delivery to Karanfilovski’s home at Station St, Arncliffe, on May 13 when sheaccepted the parcel, agreed facts stated.

Alexandra Karanfilovski.

Chahine, who also lives at Arncliffe, and two associates – Adam Ayshan and Mohamad Hawchar – were arrested at the same time.

During closing submissions on Monday, Karanfilovski’s barrister Tom Hughes said his client was “used” and “dragged into a web” by a drug syndicate which imported a substantial amount of drugs worth millions.

Karanfilovski said in her evidence last week that she was asked in early April 2020 to receive a package on behalf of Chahine’s friend’s Ayshan, who she had only met once before, because she would be home studying while Ayshan and Chahine worked.

Mr Hughes told the court Karanfilovski did not know what would be in the package and there was no mention of payment, but rather she did it as a “favour” because she was a “kind, decent human” not for greed or profit, noting “money was a not a consideration when this engagement was arranged”.

In her evidence, Karanfilovski said 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.

Karanfilovski said she was told by Chahine that Ayshan suggested the women use a code word such as “make-up” or “foundation” when discussing the package and warned them to wear gloves when handling it.

Israh Chahine and her friend Alexandra Karanfilovski (right).

Chahine told Karanfilovski that Ayshan would give Chahine $1000 and Karanfilovski would receive $2000 “for the inconvenience of the lie”.

The court heard Mr Hughes said anxieties rose when the package went undelivered and Karanfilovski asked Chahine why the package was taking so long to arrive. Chahine told her it was coming from interstate but was in Australia.

He submitted she had no idea it came from the US until she looked at the parcel with Chahine, a claim the prosecutor encouraged the jury to reject.

The Crown prosecutor also urged the jury to reject Karanfilovski’s claim she was told the parcel contained human growth hormone, submitting in his closing address that assertion was a “recent invention”.

The prosecutor said there was no mention of the hormone in her police interview nor any listening device intercept, adding she appeared to be a “willing participant” in the lie.

The jury is deliberating its verdict.

The prosecutor told the jury the Crown relied on “circumstantial evidence”, submitting there were several reasons why Karanfilovski was aware there was a substantial risk the package contained a border-controlled drug.

He said she knew the box was really for Ayshan and Hawchar – who she admitted she barely knew – and that she knew the parcel was going to be delivered to her address despite knowing it was not shopping itemsfor Chahine, which she had previously accepted.

The prosecutor also submitted there was no evidence Karanfilovski knew Ayshan or Hawchar had any connection or need for human growth hormones because they weren’t “gym junkies”.

The prosecutor also noted Ayshan and Hawchar had already liedabout the package containing, on her evidence, human growth hormones, and there was a risk they could have been lying further.

He also noted that she was being offered an unusually large amount of money – even for the “inconvenience of the lie” – for simply signing for a box.

Mr Hughes told the court Karanfilovskilied in her police interview about her belief the package contained hormones because she was “scared and terrified” about retribution.