Melbourne cocaine dealers: Bronson Interlandi, Blayden Meagher and Jordan Alexander
These Melbourne coke dealers slung more gear to keep Cocaine Bear and every other drug-crazed animal in the zoo well dialled.
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Cocaine was once considered a drug for the rich but judging by the umber of coke dealers getting done in Melbourne it looks like any old degenerate is racking up and snorting lines of the dangerous white powder.
A Men’s Gallery stripper who moved big coke deals, a failed soccer star drug dealer and a disgraced plumber who ran a dial-a-deal drug racket are among the faces of Melbourne’s cocaine scourge.
See the list.
STRIPPER’S COKE RACKET WENT BUST
Former Men’s Gallery stripper Emily Arena was nabbed moving drugs at a plush city Airbnb.
Arena, was sentenced in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in September to a 12-month community correction order after pleading guilty to a rolled-up drug trafficking charge.
Arena, who pleaded guilty to trafficking, meth, cocaine and MDMA, and her former boyfriend were arrested at their Flinders Lane Airbnb on September 11, 2021.
Police allege they found Arena and her former boyfriend in bed together, and a stack of cash and drugs after raiding the Flinders House apartment just after 9am.
Investigators seized meth, cocaine, MDMA, cannabis, $33,500 and a purple iPhone in a “glittery” case which belonged to Arena.
Arena’s phone contained multiple messages which linked the former exotic dancer to her drug dealing racket.
The court heard the messages indicated a “regular (and) organised poly-substance trafficking business in conjunction with and reporting to (the former boyfriend)”.
Arena told a customer who owed cash for drugs that “ … doesn’t want me to tic anymore”.
The messages also revealed Arena was slinging bags (grams) of pure or cut cocaine at between $300 and $450 a pop and quarter ounces for $9000.
Arena, who sold MDMA pills for $20, also offered to “organise” Ubers and taxis for customers to collect drugs, the court was told.
Arena, who informed customers she was “waiting on more packages”, told a client she “needs cash … I can’t have that much go in my acc”.
Arena, who had Covid-19 at the time of her arrest, was eventually interviewed by police on December 3.
Arena told police a bag of cocaine and some meth was for “personal use”.
Arena also claimed she got some MDMA from a friend in a “tradsies kinda thing”.
Arena, who also pleaded guilty to deal with the proceeds of crime, claimed a bundle of about “$6000 or $7000” was her Men’s Gallery savings.
Arena also claimed her ex sold gym equipment for between “$13,000 and $17,000”.
Arena, currently unemployed, told police she worked as a wholesaler then as a Men’s Gallery dancer but “work dried up during lockdown”.
Arena, who said she was living on “savings”, told police she spent $800 a week guzzling cocaine and meth daily.
UNI BUDDIES’ MASSIVE COKE OP EXPOSED
Former RMIT engineering grad Wilson Wong and his uni mate Christopher ‘Chris’ Andraos had their high-end international drug syndicate smashed by covert cops.
Wong was sentenced in the County Court in December to a minimum five-year jail term after pleading guilty to trafficking a commercial quantity of heroin, meth and cocaine.
Wong and Andraos were “complicit” in running their Melbourne-based drug syndicate.
Wong, who also pleaded guilty to attempting to possess a marketable quantity of heroin, worked the gang’s local operations.
Andraos, a former NAB analyst, and others in the syndicate travelled to Vietnam where they sourced drugs before mailing the illicit gear back to Melbourne.
The key players travelled with suitcases stuffed with packaging material used to package and conceal the drugs overseas.
The syndicate used various mailboxes, shared office spaces, burner phones, fake identities and multiple Melbourne “safe houses” to mask its clandestine operation.
The crew used apartments at Essendon North and Footscray to store cash and prepare drugs and 15 other mailboxes and offices to receive drug consignments.
All locations and boxes were leased with a fake identity.
Federal authorities latched onto the syndicate after intercepting a package containing counterfeit Medicare cards and driver’s licences in September 2018.
The matter was later referred to the Victoria Police Drug Taskforce which launched ‘Operation TIMUR’.
Police also intercepted multiple packages which contained heroin and another which contained more than a kilo of cocaine.
Taskforce detectives served covert search warrants at the Footscray and Essendon North safe houses where police photographed evidence and installed spy cameras and listening devices.
Police also installed devices in syndicate members’ cars.
Drug Taskforce members raided the safe houses and properties at West Melbourne and Ascot Vale and arrested Wong and Andraos on September 18, 2019.
Investigators seized 365 grams of cocaine, 249 grams of meth, MDMA, $64,855, an industrial size cash counter, scales, the safe, mobile phones, Xanax, passports, a laptop and various fake identities linked to Wong.
Andraos was personally nabbed with $24,190, four mobile phones, two Apple MacBook Pro computers, a passport, a Vietnam Airline ticket and a Hublot watch.
The court heard Wong graduated in engineering at RMIT but was unable to secure full-time work while his gambling and drug addictions escalated.
Andraos, a one-time rising star RMIT masters student who climbed the ladder to become a NAB investment compliance analyst, also fell hard and quit his job due to a raging cocaine addiction.
Andraos was sentenced to a nine-year and nine-month jail term with a minimum of six years after pleading guilty to trafficking a commercial quantity of heroin, meth and cocaine and attempting to possess a marketable quantity of heroin.
Wong, who sobbed throughout an earlier hearing, was jailed for a maximum of eight years and nine months.
JUNIOR SOCCER STAR TURNED COCAINE DEALER
Former Melbourne soccer prodigy Dean Dukic turned to trafficking drugs after a knee injury ended his sporting dreams.
Dukic was sentenced in the County Court in February to a minimum 44-month jail term after pleading guilty to trafficking meth and cocaine.
Dukic, who also pleaded guilty to trafficking a commercial quantity of ephedrine, was done at his family’s Cranbourne North home in October 2017.
Investigators seized various drugs including meth, MDMA, heroin, speed, cocaine, valium, Xanax and more than half a kilo of ephedrine – a base drug to produce meth.
Police also seized various weapons including a double-edged hunting knife, a butterfly knife, nunchucks and four handguns – three of which were loaded – a gun magazine, ammo and a ballistic vest.
Dukic was also done with a tick book and $112,949 cash.
Investigators also snared a police issue Motorola radio, several Casey Council street signs, digital scales, a safe and two ‘Senatel Magnum’ explosive sticks complete with detonators.
Dukic, who gave a no comment interview, was remanded in custody but later bailed.
However, police caught Dukic with more drugs and cash in September 2019.
The court heard police searched Dukic’s car and home after serving the drug dealer a firearms prohibition order.
Investigators seized multiple mobile phones, $2935, a gun magazine, 1,4 butanediol, meth, and cocaine discovered in a concealed compartment under a coffee table.
Dukic was arrested and released but later remanded on November 20, 2019.
The court heard Dukic had been a star junior NSL soccer player whose bright career was shut down by a crippling knee injury.
Dukic, who had hoped for a “professional career”, injured his knee while shooting the winning goal for his team.
Dukic, who had spent 1057 days on remand, was jailed for a maximum six years.
PARTY BOYS’ COKE AND DRUG EMPIRE
A Melbourne party boy pair ran a cocaine, MDMA and ketamine trafficking empire masked with secret ledgers and strict rules when dealing with customers.
Jacob Goldsmid and Yohann Moreau were sentenced in the County Court in August after the pair pleaded guilty to trafficking a large commercial quantity of drugs.
The former St Kilda-based duo peddled large amounts of MDMA, cocaine and ketamine between December 2019 and July 2020.
Goldsmid and Moreau, who also both pleaded guilty to trafficking speed and LSD, ran their racket out of multiple Airbnbs.
The pair, who alternated “shifts” at the Airbnbs, also stored drugs, cash and a secret ledger at a Balaclava apartment nicknamed “the shop”.
Police latched on to the duo’s racket after a drug-addled and shirtless Goldsmid dropped three backpacks and a mobile phone while he roamed St Kilda East on December 15, 2019.
Police, who picked up Goldsmid incoherent early the next morning, transferred him to The Alfred, where he spent the next 16 hours.
In the meantime, Goldsmid’s backpacks, phone and wallet were handed into police.
The backpacks contained a combined 240 grams of cocaine, 1.1kg of MDMA, 333 grams of ketamine, 125 grams of speed, scales, deal bags, notebooks and $16,877 cash.
Investigators examined Goldsmid’s phone and discovered his social media accounts and drug dealing transaction messages.
The notebooks contained information linked to various properties, buried cash and a safe, rules related to “operating the shop”, more drug deal entries and “rules for customers”.
Investigators, who let Goldsmid walk from hospital, launched a covert operation to snare the dealer in April, 2020.
Undercover cops met Goldsmid and purchased cocaine from him.
Police then tailed Goldsmid to and from apartments in St Kilda and Balaclava and set up phone intercepts.
Goldsmid was caught discussing the drug racket with Moreau.
Police raided the Balaclava “shop” where they located valium, Xanax, cocaine, ketamine, tablets and a drug ledger on June 4, 2020.
Goldsmid and Moreau weren’t present during the raid so police photographed items at the scene and slipped away.
Investigators then raided the pair’s St Kilda apartment where they seized a Google phone nicknamed the “shop phone”, the drug ledger first seen at the Balaclava apartment, cocaine and cash on July 21.
Police also seized $7000 cash from a Nissan Navara parked outside the apartment and $10,000 from Goldsmid’s Rosebud bungalow.
Goldsmid and Moreau were arrested and hauled away for questioning.
The pair both confessed to operating a joint drug trafficking enterprise for 12 months and admitted they both made entries into the drug ledger.
Moreau, a French national in Melbourne on a student visa, was jailed for a maximum of eights with a minimum of four years.
Goldsmid, a former landscaper, was jailed for a maximum nine years with a minimum of four years and six months.
CRYBABY COCAINE PEDDLER
Cocaine dealer Jordan Alexander sobbed in court after he was jailed for trafficking meth at his mum’s house.
Alexander was sentenced in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in April to six months’ jail after pleading guilty to charges including trafficking meth, MDMA and cocaine.
Alexander’s many chances ran out after police raided he and his mum’s Bundoora home on February 16, 2021.
Investigators seized meth, $27,150 in cash, shotgun ammo, Xanax and a “large amount” of deal bags.
Alexander’s mum informed police she had no knowledge of any of the items seized, the court was told.
Police searched Alexander’s bedroom where they seized the deal bags stuffed in an Ugg Boot.
Mum called her son, who was not home at the time of the raid, and told him to return to the house.
Alexander asked if he could have a shower before being arrested — which police allowed — but the drug dealer failed to show up.
Police fronted up at the Bundoora home the next day but Alexander was still on the run.
Alexander, who eventually handed himself in at a later date, told police he was in a large amount of debt due to a previous drug raid.
Alexander, an apprentice plumber, claimed he was told by a “person” to hold the bag of drugs, cash and ammo seized by police.
Alexander also claimed he “had no other option” because he was “so scared” of this mysterious person.
The prolific drug dealer was on bail at the time awaiting a deferred sentence for previous trafficking charges.
The court was told Alexander was earlier nabbed with a stack of drugs and cash at his mum’s Bundoora home on September 30, 2020.
Police seized MDMA, meth, cocaine, valium, Xanax, oxycodone and $27,525 cash.
Investigators also discovered several luxury brand goods including multiple watches and a shoe collection.
Alexander, who poses up on social media with arm sleeve tatts, broke down sobbing after he was told he’d be jailed.
Alexander was also handed an 18-month community correction order.
WORLD CLASS ATHLETE’S COKE BUSINESS
Former world stage triathlete Blayden Meagher was busted with a massive haul of drugs including MDMA and cocaine.
Meagher was sentenced in the County Court in May to a minimum four year and six month jail term after pleading guilty to multiple charges including trafficking a large commercial quantity of MDMA.
Meagher’s major drug racket was sunk after he was pulled over by police on EastLink near Carrum Downs on November 16, 2019.
Investigators locked on to Meagher after reports he was driving erratically, the court was told.
The once-promising open swimmer, who competed at state and national level, was nabbed with 100 ecstasy tablets in a bumbag, 26 deal bags containing cocaine stashed in his waistband, scales, bute, deal bags and cash — some of which was bundled in his underwear.
The talented athlete, who once competed in the World Triathlon Championship Series, told police he picked up the drugs while on his way to his parents’ Blairgowrie holiday home.
Police raided Meagher’s parents’ Doncaster East home the next day but found nothing illegal.
However, Meagher’s sister informed police her brother had moved to a house in Bulleen.
Investigators raided the Manningham Rd property where they discovered an Aladdin’s Cave of drugs and cash.
Police seized 1.8kg of MDMA from an open safe in a room titled “manager’s room”, various other drugs, a box of needles and a “significant” amount of cash.
Meagher was exposed as a drug trafficker after analysis of his phone revealed photos of drugs on scales and a text message exchange “discussing the sale of drugs”.
The court heard Meagher, who had a “good upbringing”, was raised in Doncaster and the extent of his drug racket was a “shock to the family”.
Meagher, who also pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine, was jailed for a maximum seven years and six months.
DIAL-A-DEAL MELBOURNE-WIDE COCAINE DELIVERY SERVICE
Hawthorn East plumber Bronson Interlandi was the brains behind a Melbourne-wide cocaine delivery racket.
Interlandi was sentenced in the County Court in May 2021 to a minimum three years’ jail after pleading guilty to trafficking cocaine.
Interlandi, who also pleaded guilty to drug possession and knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime, co-ordinated the drug racket between November 2019 and June 2020.
The court heard Interlandi sold cocaine after his healthy snack machine company ‘Aussie Lean Machine’ collapsed.
Interlandi supplied cocaine to primary operatives Anthony Belfiore and Matar Dvir-Ovadia.
Belfiore, under the alias ‘Chris’, and Dvir-Ovadia, under the alias ‘Andy’, used phones issued by Interlandi to receive orders via SMS, calls and encrypted messaging application ‘Signal’.
Interlandi devised a four-week roster system where Belfiore worked a three-week “shift” and Dvir-Ovadia clocked-on the other week.
The crony pair picked up customers who were made to sit in the back seat.
The customers were then driven a short distance and the deal was done.
Interlandi and his crew sold two types of cocaine products “normals” and “supers” for $300-$400 a gram.
The crew used hired vehicles and codewords such as “beers” to mask their illicit activity.
Police, who launched an investigation on the crew in October 2019, established Interlandi was the “head of the operation”.
Investigators discovered operatives referred to Interlandi as ‘Bronson’, ‘The Big Boy’, ‘B’, ‘Boss’ and ‘Bron’.
Police surveillance captured Belfiore and other players sling coke at multiple locations throughout Melbourne including outside pubs in Richmond and the city.
The crew used storage units at Hawthorn and Richmond, Belfiore’s Richmond apartment and a rented office suite “safe house” at Malvern to store drugs and cash.
Belfiore, whose Bridge Rd apartment was bugged, was recorded boasting about he had saved up $100,000 after being told by Interlandi that he had earned $330,000 in a year.
Belfiore was also recorded telling a recruit she could earn good cash and “she’s taking a big risk and that she’ll be looked after by Bronson”.
The woman said the operation “runs so well” and “they even have the number for the lawyer”.
Investigators moved in and arrested the gang on June 10, 2020.
Police seized 376 grams of cocaine from various locations and caught Belfiore with steroids and $12,985.
The 248 grams of pure cocaine located at the Milton Parade office was only linked to Interlandi.
Dvir-Ovadia, who is also a plumber, was only involved in the operation between February and May 2020.
The court was told Belfiore, who pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine and knowingly deal with the proceeds of crime, fell into debt after his Richmond pizza business went bust.
Interlandi was jailed for a maximum six years after spending 345 days on remand.
Belfiore was sentenced to two years’ jail with a minimum 12 months.
Dvir-Ovadia was handed a three-year community correction order with 300 hours of unpaid community work.
DIMWITTED COKE DEALER LEADS COPS TO BROTHER
A Melbourne drug dealer busted after his coke-peddling younger brother led undercover cops right to his doorstep has avoided further jail time.
Christopher Hourigan was sentenced in the County Court in November 2021 to time served – 30 days – after pleading guilty to trafficking butanediol 1,4.
Coke-dealing younger brother Andrew Hourigan, who pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine, also avoided further jail time after he was sentenced to time served – 22 days.
The younger Hourigan lobbed on the police radar first after he sold drugs to an undercover cop in October last year.
Police targeted Hourigan junior after investigators established the Wesley College graduate was slinging cocaine via drug dealing website Leafedout.
The court heard dealers peddled drugs via Leafedout using codenames including “Charlie” for cocaine, ‘Indica” for cannabis and “M” for MDMA.
Hourigan junior, under the Wickr alias Upthetren1, sold more than 155g of cocaine to undercover police between October 20 and January 25 this year.
The multiple deals, which went down at various Melbourne suburbs including Oakleigh, Malvern East and Bentleigh, totalled $15,000.
Hourigan junior also offered to sell 112g of cocaine in a single deal to an undercover cop for $34,000 but the transaction never went through.
Hourigan also communicated with police via Wickr, telling an undercover cop he was “packing the gear” just prior to a deal.
Investigators seized steroids, almost 40g of 1,4 butanediol, almost 100g of cannabis, cocaine and MDMA.
Investigators, who tailed Hourigan throughout Melbourne, caught the Hansel and Gretel trail the coke dealer left to his older brother’s Frankston North drug racket.
Police pounced and arrested Hourigan junior at his parents’ Malvern East home just before 5am on January 27 this year.
Investigators seized steroids, almost 40g of 1,4 butanediol, almost 100g of cannabis, cocaine and MDMA.
Police also raided Hourigan senior’s Mulberry Crescent drug cave at exactly the same time.
Investigators seized more than 2.3kg of bute, almost 70g of meth, 50g of cocaine, MDMA, ecstasy, various steroids, $3260 cash and more than 3kg of cannabis.
The Hourigan boys grew up in a family of “educated individuals”, with both parents retired school teachers while dad also worked as university lecturer, the court was told.
The court heard the brothers’ other siblings enjoyed successful careers but Christopher, who completed VCE at Wesley College, and Andrew, who also completed VCE, were unemployed at the time of the offending.
said.
Judge Michael McInerney warned both Hourigans to “bring their toothbrush” if he saw them again.
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