Drug addict migrant fronts court over meth and heroin charges

A big time drug dealer who flooded Melbourne’s streets with heroin and meth has been taken down, while his two co-accused remain on the loose.

Amritpal Gill copped a hefty jail sentence to importing deadly drugs.

A key player in a drug syndicate that flooded Melbourne streets with heroin and methamphetamine has copped a 13-year jail term while he co-accused remain on the run.

Amritpal Gill, a 35-year-old Indian national, pleaded guilty in the County Court to single charges of importing a commercial quantity of border controlled drug and dealing with proceeds of crime.

Gill used phone subscribed in false names and fraudulently opened bank and Australia Post accounts using details of innocent people who have had their identities stolen to avoid detection.

He used encrypted messaging applications and arranged for heroin and meth to be couriered to vacant rental properties, houses for sale or Australia Post parcel lockers.

“You’d communicate with other persons, known only as 22 and God of War about various drug transactions and handling techniques. These persons remain unknown to authorities,” Judge Carolene Gwynn said while sentencing Gill on Wednesday.

The heroin Amritpal Gill imported into Australia was more than four times the commercial quantity.

Gill imported six consignments of the drugs between December 11, 2020 and February 11, 2021 and arranged for them to be delivered to various residential premises around metropolitan Melbourne.

The first consignment arrived from Thailand containing 980 grams of meth. The second consignment of 39.66 grams of meth from Mexico was seized by authorities in Sydney.

Gill sent an encrypted message to God of War about the seizure. “Bad news. Sydney has been seized”. God of War responded “Oh yes brother, I know”.

The other four air consignments contained nearly 6.8kg heroin concealed in wooden boat statutes, clothes and cardboard boxes.

Gill was arrested on February 11, 2021 at the front door of an apartment on Southbank he’d been living at with two others.

The two others were nabbed by police later that day at Keilor Park.

Police seized more than $46,000 in cash from Amritpal Gill’s bedroom as part of the drug investigation.

Judge Gwynn said the amount of meth imported was 54 times the commercial quantity for that drug and the heroin seized was more than four times that quantity.

Police also found more than $46,000 in cash from Gill’s bedroom.

“Your use of the identity of innocent third parties was undoubtedly an inconvenience to each of them as they had to tidy up the aftermath of your wrongdoing using their personal details,” Judge Gwynn said.

She said the use of their details also highlighted the extent of preparatory work Gill did in advance of his offending.

“Your offending involves two border-controlled drugs, each capable in their individual potential to destroy the lives of those that come to use them — something that was well within your knowledge.”

Born and bred in India, Gill began using heroin in his fourth year of engineering studies and became fully addicted to other drugs by the age of 21.

Gill was jailed for 13 years and six months with a non-parole period of eight years and nine months.