Donya El-Ahmad, Geoffrey Sammak: Bankstown woman, Villawood man jailed for drug supply

A woman who operated the ‘run phone’ of a drug supply ring and a man who supplied the syndicate with $30,000 worth of cocaine have been sentenced to jail.

Two members of a drug syndicate supplying Sydney’s southwest have been jailed.

Donya El-Ahmad, 25, of Bankstown, and Geoffrey Sammak, 26, of Villawood, had both previously pleaded guilty to charges relating to drug supply.

They were arrested in December after investigations by NSW Police through Strike Force Daniel, along with co-accused Jaafar El-Masri, Youssef Berro and Danny Chami.

During the arrests, police uncovered $660,000 in cash, guns, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

The court heard El-Ahmad was operating the ‘run phone’ of the syndicate from her home, arranging for drivers to deliver cocaine to customers, and was dating the alleged ringleader, Jaafar El-Masri at the time.

Donya El-Ahmad was arrested by police on December 30, 2021.

Agreed facts previously tendered to court reveal the syndicate was under police surveillance for a significant period of time, with recorded conversations between El-Ahmad and El-Masri discussing the supply of cocaine.

On one occasion, El-Ahmad sent another member of the syndicate — Danny Chami — to a Hungry Jacks in Bankstown to supply 0.6 grams of cocaine to a customer.

Danny Chami outside Bankstown Local Court on August 11, 2022. Chami was sentenced to 30-month ICO for drug supply. Picture: Paul Brescia

Chami pleaded guilty to drug supply and was sentenced to an intensive corrections order (ICO) for his role in the syndicate in August, after being busted by police at home surrounded by bags of cocaine.

Magistrate Shane McAnulty told the court El-Ahmad’s role was very different to Chami, as she was one of the organisers of the scheme rather than just participating.

Sammak pleaded guilty to supplying 84g of cocaine to the syndicate, at a price of $30,900.

His lawyer, Hisham Karnib — also representing El-Ahmad — told the court despite the large amount, his involvement was not ‘sophisticated’.

“Given this set of offending relates to one isolated incident, one hour, it is a brief interaction compared to the other offenders,” Mr Karnib said.

The court heard Sammak was a truck driver in a dire financial situation, coerced by a friend to supply the drugs in exchange for money.

But unlike Chami, who was working as a drug runner for the syndicate, Sammak’s role “facilitated” the participation of others, Mr McAnulty said.

Sammak and El-Ahmad were initially listed to be sentenced in Liverpool Local Court last month, but had their cases moved to Bankstown so that they could be sentenced by the same magistrate.

Strike Force Daniels discovered a significant amount of cash during the December 2021 raids.

When sentencing the duo, Mr McAnulty said drugs destroy the lives of people in the community.

“They kill people, and force others into the same financial stress Mr Sammak was trying to free himself from,” he said.

He told the court he must consider a ruling made in the Court of Criminal Appeals made on October 5, which suggests “jail is the appropriate sentence” for matters of drug supply for mid-level operatives.

El-Ahmad originally faced nine charges of drug supply, though six were withdrawn by police, and another taken into account during sentencing.

For her two charges of supplying drugs on an ongoing basis, Mr McAnulty sentenced El-Ahmad to two years in prison, with a non-parole period of 12 months. She broke down in tears as she was sentenced, while her supporters in court started weeping.

For his charge of supplying more than the indictable amount of a prohibited drug, Sammak was given a sentence of 14 months in prison, with a non-parole period of eight months.

Mr Karnib immediately filed a sentencing appeal in the District Court, and applied for both El-Ahmad and Sammak to be released on bail, with the application denied by Mr McAnulty.

The sentence appeal will be heard on November 1 in Parramatta District Court.