Andy Dawood and Daniello Davies refused bail for drug importation, proceeds of crime charges
A Sydney businessman who allegedly smuggled hundreds of kilograms of MDMA into Australia will spend Christmas in jail after the court refused his release bid on the same day his younger brother was put behind bars for the alleged import ‘fail’.
Police & Courts
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A western Sydney businessman and his brother will spend their first Christmas behind bars with the prospect of lifetime imprisonment hanging over their heads if convicted, after they allegedly tried to smuggle $13 million dollars worth of MDMA into Australia.
Meadowbank man Andy Dawood, 47, faced Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday to make a bid for freedom one month after he was charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of MDMA, dealing with suspected proceeds of indictable crime greater than $100,000 and possessing a dedicated encrypted criminal communication device.
His younger brother and co-accused, Daniello Davies, 39, learnt the same fate hours later after being charged with the same offences for his alleged role in the sting.
It comes after Australian Border Force officers allegedly discovered 237kg of MDMA hidden inside a shipping container labelled “car parts” in November 2023 after the shipment was imported from Germany and delivered to a western Sydney logistics facility on behalf of a company managed by Dawood, referred to in court as “KTA Complete Transport”.
Dawood allegedly told police he organised the “car parts” delivery on behalf of another person. But police allege this person did not exist.
Following searches of Dawood’s home, police allegedly uncovered electronic devices with evidence of the MDMA shipment and the fake identity used to arrange it.
Police also allegedly found an encrypted communications device inside a concealed compartment in Dawood’s car.
The businessman was arrested at Sydney International Airport in mid -November upon his return to Australia and authorities seized $576,000 in cryptocurrency linked to offshore crypto accounts.
In court on Wednesday, Dawood appeared via audio visual link dressed in prison greens as his solicitor made appeals for his client to walk free for the holidays.
The court heard Dawood was the primary carer for his sick parents and his father had suffered a nearly-fatal heart attack the night before.
Although Deputy Chief Magistrate Sharon Freund “sympathised” with Dawood’s eagerness to see his elderly parents,
Police facts indicated Dawood knew about the import and was both a director and shareholder of the transport company at the centre of the investigation, Ms Freund told the court.
She also acknowledged Dawood faced the prospect of life behind bars if convicted due to the quantity of drugs allegedly imported.
After Ms Freund refused the bail application, Dawood could be seen with his head in his hands as family members cried and walked out of the courtroom.
The decision came within hours of his brother also being refused bail after messages were uncovered by AFP investigators on Davies’ phone which allegedly indicated he was aware of an AFP search warrant executed on his older brother’s industrial property.
Four search warrants executed at properties in Fairfield, Mount Druitt and Doonside also allegedly found three electronic devices and a piece of paper containing a crypto seed phrase.
Both men will return to the Downing Centre Local Court next year.
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