Ahmed Jarkas: Yagoona man in court over 130kg ice bust

A southwest Sydney man with a low intellectual capacity was set to be paid $10,000 for driving a 130kg shipment of ice across Sydney, a court has heard.

A southwest Sydney man with a low intellectual capacity was set to be paid $10,000 for driving a 130kg shipment of ice across Sydney and unpacking it, a court has heard.

Ahmed Jarkas, 28, from Yagoona, fronted the NSW District Court sporting a top knot on Friday during his sentence for supply prohibited drug (large commercial quantity) which he previously pleaded guilty to.

Jarkas was one of three men arrested and charged in early 2020 after a 130kg haul of methamphetamine was discovered inside a one-tonne piece of machinery sent in air cargo from Mexico to Sydney.

Ahmed Jarkas being arrested in January 2020. Picture: NSW Police

Authorities removed the drugs, valued at about $70 million, and carried out a controlled delivery of the machine as part of their investigation.

The agreed facts stated Jarkas hired a truck and picked up the machine from a business in Alexandria, Bremick Fasteners, before driving it to his own business in Condell Park on January 22, 2020.

The court heard he then attempted to open the electromagnet machine with an angle grinder but failed in his attempt.

The court heard that Jarkas was set to be paid about $10,000 for his role but his lawyer claimed he never received the payment.

Judge Antony Townsden accepted that his role in the drug operation was simply to transport and remove the drugs from the machine.

Jarkas being arrested. Picture: NSW Police

“He is part of a chain and an integral part but that is all it is,” he said.

Jarkas’ lawyer submitted a psychological report to the court which highlighted Jarkas’ low intellectual capacity was “below average but not disabled”.

She said his mental state meant he was prone to naivety and the “ability to be easily led”.

She claimed he was effectively “the fall guy” in the operation if police were watching the shipment, and he did not know exactly what was meant to be inside the machinery other than it was a prohibited substance.

The Crown prosecutor accepted Jarkas suffered from a low intellectual capacity but stated he must have known the prohibited item he was transporting was of large size and value, in contrast to a bag of drugs or something of that nature.

Co-offenders Ahmed Sadi (left) and Moey Sadi.

“The drugs were inside a very large machine and required a truck and significant movement.”

The machine remained at the site where Jarkas left it until police seized it on January 30, 2020, the same day Jarkas was arrested at his home in Yagoona. He asked police “what drugs?” while he was being arrested.

Judge Townsden has reserved his judgment and will hand down Jarkas’ sentence on July 30. Jarkas remains in custody on remand.

Co-offenders Ahmed Sadi and Moey Sadi were arrested about three weeks after Jarkas.

The Sadi relatives have also pleaded guilty to their part in the drug operation and are awaiting sentencing.