Rik Hernandez: Another bail bid for man who allegedly attempted to possess imported cocaine

A man accused of attempting to have kilograms of cocaine delivered to his Sydney home, sent from Germany and Belgium to Sydney, has made a bid for bail in the NSW Supreme Court.

Rik Hernandez was refused bail at the Supreme Court in Sydney on Friday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

A man accused of attempting to have kilograms of cocaine delivered to his Sydney home, sent from Germany and Belgium to Sydney, has been refused bail in the NSW Supreme Court.

Rik Hernandez, also known as Rashed Wannous, was arrested with his wife Fatima Zalghout in a raid on May 31 at his Illawong home.

The pair were charged with possessing a commercial quantity of unlawfully imported border controlled drugs and dealing with the property proceeds of crime.

Hernandez, aged 42, appeared via video link at the Supreme Court on Friday, which heard the first charge was “anticipated” to be downgraded from commercial to marketable quantity.

A police statement of facts previously tendered to court states German customs officials intercepted a parcel addressed to Zalghout on July 26, 2022, allegedly containing 1.8kg of cocaine.

Rik Hernandez’s wife Fatima Zalghout. Picture: Facebook

On August 11, 2022 Australian Border Force officials intercepted a parcel also allegedly addressed to Zalghout, containing an electric fireplace and allegedly had 2.5kg of white powder, found to be an inert substance. Investigators allege it was a “dry run”.

On May 4, Australian Border Force intercepted another parcel allegedly addressed to Zalghout at her new home at Illawong. The parcel allegedly contained a microwave with 2.18kg of cocaine concealed inside.

The next day, Belgium customs intercepted another package allegedly containing 2kg of cocaine, which was allegedly addressed to Zalghout.

Investigators established Strike Force Schwafe in May and started listening to the couple’s mobile phone calls.

On May 23, plain clothes police attempted to deliver the microwave package to the Illawong address however Zalghout allegedly refused to accept the package.

Immediately afterwards, according to documents Zalghout called Hernandez and spoke to him in Arabic before he allegedly told her not to talk until she got out of the house.

A stock image of cocaine. Picture: iStock

Zalghout went to her Bankstown workplace, borrowed a colleague’s phone and called Hernandez.

Justice Ierace said Hernandez allegedly told Zalghout to pretend she wasn’t home “so they would leave it outside the front door”.

The couple were arrested on May 31 at their Illawong home.

In court on Friday, Hernandez’s barrister Mr Edwards questioned the strength of the crown case, referencing alleged telephone intercepts, which he said “none of them” related to admissions by his client.

Mr Edwards said there was no evidence of any organisation by Hernandez or Zalghout to “attempt to possess” the consignment.

In answering Justice Ierace’s question about Hernandez’s instructions to not open the door, Mr Edwards said “that conversation can’t relate to that consignment” as it was done and dusted.

The court heard that while there was a previous conviction for a drug offence on Hernandez’s record, his “last offence was committed” on June 29, 2020.

Mr Edwards said there was some age to his offending, and proposed his client would be released into a “house arrest situation” as the matter would “very likely” be delayed before trial.

In response, the crown opposed bail, objecting to the assertion Hernandez’s previous offending had aged, instead saying it was in fact “relatively recent”.

The crown said his criminal history displayed an “ongoing, longstanding disobedience” to the law and he had weak community ties.

Ultimately, Justice Ierace refused bail as Hernandez posed an unacceptable risk he could commit a serious offence.

Zalghout remains at liberty after being granted bail on July 14 and the matter will return to court on September 27. No pleas have been entered in both matters.