Israh Chahine: Arncliffe traffic controller jailed for delivering imported drugs
A young woman has been jailed for her involvement in the delivery of a large amount of imported drugs for a measly $1000 reward.
St George Shire Standard
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A young traffic controller has been jailed for her involvement in the delivery of a large amount of imported drugs for a measly $1000 reward.
Israh Chahine, 26, cried and wailed when she was sentenced to two years and 10 months in jail, with a minimum of 16 months, in Downing Centre District Court on Friday.
Chahine pleaded guilty to attempting to possess a commercial quantity of methamphetamine.
Agreed facts tendered to court state Australian Border Force officials examined a consignment containing 12 ration packets, totalling 4.2kg of meth, that was sent from the US and addressed to Chahine on May 5, 2020.
Chahine, of Arncliffe, her best friend Alexandra Karanfilovski, and two male associates Adam Ayshan and Mohamad Hawchar were all charged with the same offence.
Karanfilovski is yet to enter pleas; with Ayshan and Hawchar sentenced to four years and 10 months and four years and eight months in jail respectively.
They will be eligible for parole after two years and six months and two years and four months.
Agreed facts state the drugs were replaced with an inert substance and delivered to Karanfilovski’s home, after Chahine went to the RMS to change her mailing address to that location.
The court heard Chahine spoke to Ayshan and Hawchar on the phone and she met Ayshan in person to discuss the package.
The package was delivered to Karanfilovski’s address where she allegedly accepted the delivery, the facts said.
The court heard Chahine and Karanfilovski allegedly spoke about “foundation,” which was the codename they used to discuss the drugs, before Chahine went to pick up the package.
Chahine expected to be paid a total of $3000 which she was allegedly going to keep $2000 of and give Karanfilovski $1000, but she was only given $2000.
The court heard Chahine was “reckless” about her knowledge of the drugs and how much was involved.
Judge John Pickering accepted Chahine had no involvement in the importation, no financial investment in the drugs, and her “fairly brief” role was to deliver the package but not distribute the drugs.
He said she took on the most risk by using her name and phone number which left her vulnerable to being arrested, and her involvement was at the “lower end”.
“The sad fact is the offender took such a risk – even at the highest to end to receive $2000 but only received $1000 – when clearly the drug was worth extraordinarily more,” Judge Pickering said.
“The risk and potential sentence she took in having an involvement for a pathetic amount of money is quite sad.”
Judge Pickering said her role was no doubt “significantly less” than Ayshan and Hawchar.
He said she was naive and that the charge carried a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and therefore the court took the offending very seriously.
Judge Pickering accepted Chahine got involved to help with her financial pressure and to support her drug habit.
The court heard Chahine had no criminal history, lived with her parents and siblings and worked as a traffic controller but hoped to live a “normal life” and work in the disability and aged care sector.
“She has attributed her behaviour to being young and naive, and she accepted responsibility for her offending behaviour,” Judge Pickering said.
The court heard Chahine was a drug addict, had anti-social friends but was on the path of rehabilitation and showed significant remorse and insight into the harm drugs do to people.
Judge Pickering said the offence was too serious to allow her to serve a jail sentence in the community.
She will be eligible for parole on November 25, 2024.
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