Omar Mahfouz: Son in alleged Bankstown family drug ring pleads
The intricate details of an alleged family drug ring have been revealed in court as a taxi driver was sentenced for delivering the gear. The son has also admitted his role, although told a court he can’t remember much as he was ‘off his head’ following the breakdown of his marriage.
The Express
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A man who allegedly ran a drug supply ring with his mother and father out of their Bankstown home told a court he doesn’t remember much because he was “off his head … on xannies”.
Omar Fawaz Mahfouz, 28, has pleaded guilty to supplying drugs on an ongoing basis and taking part in supplying an indictable amount of a prohibited drug.
He faced a hearing at the Downing Centre District Court last week ahead of his sentencing in September.
He gave evidence on Friday from custody, in front of his co-accused parents, that he “had to sell drugs to clear my debt because my family was going to get hurt”.
He also told the court his mother had no idea he was dealing drugs.
Phone intercepts, the court heard, have the mother-and-son pair discussing bags of “coffee”, which it is alleged, in documents tendered to court, was a codeword for drugs.
Both mother Gladiss and father Fawaz Mahfouz have pleaded not guilty to knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime, knowingly directing a criminal group, and two counts of taking part in supplying prohibited drugs.
Omar was arrested on March 22, 2019, alongside his parents, and co-accused‘s Abdul Arnaout and Wissim Awde.
On Friday, Omar’s co-accused and employee Awde was sentenced to an 18-month Conditional Corrections Order, after pleading guilty to ferrying drug deals in his cab for about $250 per day, supplying 21 grams of cocaine on 27 occasions in March 2019.
Arnaout, another alleged cabbie dealer, has pleaded not guilty to supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, supplying an indictable quantity of a prohibited drug, dealing with proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal group.
Omar spiralled, the court heard, following his marriage breakdown.
He became addicted to sleeping pills and fell into a deep debt, which was a risk to his life.
Omar, in evidence, said he won $50,000 on the pokies four days before he was arrested in March 2019, which he was going to use to pay back the money he owed.
Those winnings, the court heard, along with $30,000 more, were found in socks in Omar’s parent’s family home.
In Awde’s sentence proceeding in front of Judge Jane Culver on Friday afternoon, the court heard Awde was “used” to do the “bidding” for his co-accused.
He was recruited by Arnaout, the court heard, for a brief period when his own taxi was being inspected, and the pair would often drive together on drug deals.
He would answer to Arnaout, and started driving for him on March 8 before the March 22 arrest.
He also worked for Omar, often driving him around to clubs and pubs for extra cash.
But the pair barely knew each, the court heard.
Arnaout would allegedly get the drugs from the Mahfouz family, the court heard.
Awde, Judge Culver determined, was a driver and a street-level dealer, who fell into drug dealing after his mental and physical decline from a workplace injury.
Omar will be back before the courts for sentence on September 23.