Tasmania Supreme Court: Fahed and Tracy Elniz found to have conspired in multiple drug deals

A judge has found that a Bandidos-affiliated man and his wife, who were arrested during a major police raid on Dover in 2020, both conspired to traffic drugs on multiple occasions. Read the latest.

Fahed Elniz leaves Hobart Magistrates Court in 2020. Picture: Zak Simmonds

A Supreme Court judge has found that a Bandidos-affiliated man and his wife, who were both arrested during a major federal police and gang squad raid in the sleepy fishing town of Dover in 2020, had each conspired in drug deals involving cocaine and methamphetamine on multiple occasions.

Fahed and Tracy Elniz, both 49, appeared together before Associate Justice David Porter in Hobart on Wednesday, having both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to traffic an illicit substance.

Associate Justice Porter said although prosecutors had alleged the couple was linked to six separate drug trips undertaken by a third party between the mainland and Tasmania, both accused only admitted involvement in one incident, with Ms Elniz also denying any association with methamphetamine.

The sixth and final alleged trip, which took place a week before Christmas in 2019, culminated in the arrest of a third party at the Spirit of Tasmania terminal in Devonport.

The couple was arrested and charged in June 2020, after more than 60 police officers swarmed the tranquil hamlet of Dover as part of a crackdown on the Bandidos outlaw motorcycle club.

Tasmania Police, Australian Federal Police and the National Anti-Gang Squad were all involved in the raid.

Acting Justice Porter said before the matters could proceed to sentencing, he needed to rule on the disputed scope of the Elniz’s admitted agreement in the criminal scheme.

His Honour told the court he was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that both accused had entered into a conspiracy some time before September 2019 for the trafficking of controlled substances, namely methamphetamine and cocaine, for four separate trips.

Associate Justice Porter said he was also satisfied that the agreement of Tracy Elniz extended to methamphetamine on all four occasions.

His Honour found he could not be satisfied that either accused were involved in two trips allegedly made in April and June, 2019.

Crown Prosecutor Heather Denton told the court the state would need time to consider Associate Justice Porter’s findings - including calculating the total quantity of drugs involved in the four trips - before making sentencing submissions.

His Honour remanded both accused in custody, and adjourned the matter for a sentencing hearing on 18 March.

Originally published as Tasmania Supreme Court: Fahed and Tracy Elniz found to have conspired in multiple drug deals