Strathfield Plaza shooting: How Daily Telegraph photo led to cocaine bust

A Colombian cocaine syndicate was smashed after its members texted a picture of The Daily Telegraph next to blocks covered in tape to an undercover cop, it can be revealed.

A Colombian cocaine syndicate was brought undone after its members texted a picture of The Daily Telegraph newspaper next to 20 rectangular blocks covered in tape to an undercover police officer while negotiating a massive drug deal.

In response the officer, who was secretly posing as a buyer called Sam, texted back a photo of that day’s Australian newspaper next to what he said was a startling $1 million in bundles of cash on top of the broadsheet.

“This is one million with today’s newspaper, I have another 300 coming from Melbourne … I will have the 300 on Tuesday, can you be ready to go Friday week?” Sam wrote.

The full story of how police smashed the Sydney-based Colombian syndicate can now be revealed after Jhonattan Moreno, 29, his uncle Jose Gomez, 51, and William Riano, 23, were all committed for sentence on commercial drug supply.

All three are facing the prospect of long jail stints when they learn their fates in the NSW District Court in October.

The Daily Telegraph's front page on July 10, 2020.

The Australian front page on July 14, 2020.

Agreed facts state that Sam had agreed to purchase 15kgs of cocaine from Moreno and Gomez for $1.5 million in cash last year.

The officer also gave the two Colombians an encrypted phone with a note containing a handwritten passcode so they could talk covertly while working out the terms of the deal.

On July 10 2020, Sam received the photo of that day’s Daily Telegraph next to the taped blocks and four days later he sent back the photo of that day’s Australian next to the bundles of money.

Sam and the Colombians agreed to meet in the car park of Strathfield Shopping Plaza to do the transaction.

However, Moreno and Gomez had among themselves hatched a plan to try and rip off Sam by selling him sugar instead of actual cocaine.

The fact sheet states Moreno called Riano — a former flatmate of his who was cutting hair in a Kogarah barbershop — and told him to hurry to Strathfield as they had someone falling for their plan.

The police operation in the carpark of Strathfield Plaza in Strathfield. Picture: Toby Zerna.

Two men were arrested in the carpark. Picture: Toby Zerna.

When the three Colombians arrived to meet Sam in the car park, police swooped in and arrested Gomez and Riano, who had been given a sports bag to hold containing blocks of sugar and wood instead of actual cocaine.

As he was arrested Gomez shouted: “It’s sugar! It’s sugar!”

Moreno, who had been waiting in a nearby car, tried to flee the scene and accelerated in the direction of police before an officer shot their gun at his tyres “in an unsuccessful attempt to the vehicle’s progress”, the fact sheet states.

Moreno was later arrested near his Homebush West apartment and later said he did not know the people approaching in the car park were police.

Police raided the flat, where Gomez had also been living with his nephew, and found almost $340,000 in cash.

The scene from a Strathfield carpark. Photo Jeremy Piper

Starthfield Plaza carpark. Photo Jeremy Piper

Gomez was charged with dealing with the proceeds of crime over that money.

Officers also found cocaine and digital scales in Moreno’s bedroom.

The blocks in the sports bag, which had been taken to the car park, were found to contain only cubed sugar and wood.

Moreno told police he was responsible for constructing the imitation cocaine and that he had decided to try and sell sugar as drugs after entering into an agreement with his uncle.

Riano said he had travelled to Strathfield to assist Moreno and Gomez with supplying the packages of sugar and claimed he did not believe that what they were doing was illegal.