Double lives of Australian sportsmen turned cocaine dealers exposed

A senior NSW police source has said there are well-known, respected people in the drug trade that would shock the general public.

One of Australia’s best-known sportsmen has been suspected of being a major cocaine distributor in the city and eastern suburbs for the past decade.

The player has popped up on police intelligence reports for some time but has so far avoided arrest.

“There are people in the drug trade that would shock the general public,” a senior NSW police source said.

Racehorse owner Damion Flower was jailed for importing cocaine into the country.

An ex-first grade NRL star who has played international football was also known to police as being involved in major importations for years and had links to a developer who was recently arrested for a large cocaine importation.

While many have not been charged there are other high-flyers and respected people in the community whose double lives were exposed.

The most spectacular was the arrest, conviction and jailing of Damion Flower, one of the country’s most successful racehorse owners, who was importing millions of dollars worth of cocaine into the country for years.

Kayaker Nathan Baggaley was found guilty of importing more than 200kg of cocaine in 2018.

Matthew James Doyle was caught importing 50kg of cocaine.

Flower rubbed shoulders with some of the country’s best-known celebrities, football stars and high-flying businessmen.

Just months before Flower came crashing down, another man about town, Matthew Doyle, was caught importing 50kg of cocaine.

He and wife Kelsea were well known on the Sydney social scene and his arrest stunned many in Sydney society. Mrs Doyle had no idea of, or any connection to, her husband’s drug operation.

Among the big sporting names to be done for drugs is Olympic silver medallist kayaker Nathan Baggaley, who this year was found guilty of importing more than 200kg of cocaine in 2018.