Melbourne drug dealers 2022: Domenic Luzza, Caitlin Nielsen, Maria Romeo, Rory Matthews
It was a deal-breaker for these wannabe big-time Melbourne drug traffickers whose rackets went kaput in 2022. See the list.
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A Comanchero bikie mastermind, a former glamour dancer and a mum who claimed she only did GHB when she didn’t have her kid all had their drug trafficking downfalls.
Here are some of Melbourne’s biggest dealers who got their comeuppance in court in 2022.
COMANCHERO DRUG LORD
Comanchero drug syndicate boss Domenic Luzza was brought down at a suburban pizza joint.
Luzza fronted the County Court in February after pleading guilty to charges including import a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug.
Luzza, who also pleaded guilty to trafficking a commercial quantity of drugs, was nabbed after police launched “Echo-Maine 2018” to snare the Comanchero Victorian treasurer.
The lengthy covert op established that Luzza imported and trafficked various drugs, including MDMA, ketamine and 100kg of meth precursor ‘MAPA’.
The MAPA could have yielded 80kg of high-grade worth tens of millions of dollars had it hit the streets.
Luzza also attempted to import 200kg of 1,4 butanediol – a legal industrial cleaner that turns into GHB when ingested.
Luzza shopped around for the best prices on Chinese factory-produced analog drugs, including methyl alpha-acetophenylacetate (MAPA), fluorodeschloroketamine and MDMA mirror Eutylone.
He was linked with a Hong Kong middleman who provided a full service one-stop shop for overseas traffickers.
The service included packaging and shipping the drugs to Australia disguised as eyelash curlers and other items.
Fraudulent paperwork, fake addresses and bogus tracking and consignment numbers were all included.
Luzza’s syndicate used false names and addresses and encrypted phone apps in an attempt to keep their clandestine operation hidden from police.
Luzza will be sentenced at a later date.
CHEF COOKS UP TRAFFICKING TRADE
Former chef Cameron Davie was nabbed dealing ecstasy and ketamine after losing work during lockdown.
Cameron Davie was sentenced in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in January to an 18-month community correction order after pleading guilty to trafficking ecstasy and ketamine.
Davie and another man were nabbed at their South Yarra Apartment on July 1, 2020.
Police searched the apartment and seized ketamine, more than 100g of orange ecstasy pills, Xanax, almost $10,000 cash, scales, a tick book titled “Tickles”, a fake driver’s licence and a notebook labelled “Let’s Explore” from Davie’s bedroom.
Investigators also seized ecstasy, acid and $7860 cash from the other man’s bedroom.
Empty deal bags and drug paraphernalia were found in both rooms and in the loungeroom.
Davie, who also pleaded guilty to dealing with the proceeds of crime, confirmed police would have found ecstasy in his room.
Davie also claimed the cash was savings from his previous job and a Bitcoin investment that he had been “slowly dipping into it”.
Davie, who has no priors nor subsequent offending, was convicted, ordered to undertake assessment, treatment and testing for drug use and fined $5000.
MUM'S GHB DELIVERY SERVICE
Southbank mum Caitlin Nielsen peddled a dangerous party drug linked to overdoses via a DiDi delivery driver but she avoided a jail term.
Nielsen was sentenced in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in March to a community correction order after pleading guilty to two charges of trafficking GHB.
Nielsen’s racket went kaput after police spotted the mum handing an envelope to a DiDi driver outside her Southbank apartment block on October 15, 2020.
Police tailed and intercepted the DiDi driver a short distance away, where they seized the envelope which contained deadly rave drug GHB.
The DiDi driver had undertaken a parcel delivery job and was not linked to the drug racket.
Investigators tracked Nielsen back to her apartment where she was arrested on October 18.
Police seized GHB analog 1,4 butanediol concealed in two bottles.
Nielsen was hauled away for questioning.
The mum told police she only used GHB when she didn’t have her son.
“Well, when I don’t have my child,” Nielsen told police.
“So it would be on a Friday night and it would probably be every second weekend.
“They told me if you just deal drugs it can make you really good money, or like attempt to.”
Nielsen also told police she paid $400 “upfront” for the deadly drug haul, which was “dropped” to her apartment.
Nielsen also claimed she didn’t know what she would do with the GHB.
“I have no idea,” Nielsen said.
“Mainly personal use … I didn’t like the idea or wanted to entertain the thought of dealing so it was mainly for personal use.”
Nielsen also told police she was “pretty sure” the person who sold her the GHB intended for her to “sell it on”.
Nielsen, who avoided a conviction, was placed on the order for 12 months.
UNEMPLOYED TWEAKER’S HOTEL DRUG DEN
Unemployed tweaker Rory Matthews peddled various and vast amounts of drugs at a Carlton hotel for free rent and all the gear he could consume to guard the lair.
Matthews was sentenced in the County Court in February to a minimum 27-month jail term after pleading guilty to trafficking commercial quantities of MDMA and meth.
Matthews, who also pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine, ketamine, Nexus and LSD, was nabbed after police raided his Arise The Eminence Carlton apartment on January 5 last year.
Police seized 821g of MDMA, 185g of meth, more than 100g of cocaine, ketamine, 9905 milligrams of LSD, synthetic rave hallucinogen Nexus, cannabis and DMT at the Queensberry St apartment.
Investigators also seized a cash counter, cutting agents, blenders, utensils, various IDs and bank cards and $35,000 cash stashed in a Coles bag.
The court heard much of the drug stash was divvied up and hidden in “ready for sale” deal bags scattered throughout the apartment.
Matthews, who was not home during the search, gave a “no comment” interview” after handing himself in to police on January 12.
The court heard Matthews was a “low-level” drug sitter who received free accommodation and a smorgasbord of drugs for living at the drug cave.
Matthews was jailed for a maximum four years and four months.
COSTCO CHOOK CHUCKER’S METH RACKET
Hothead junkie mum Cynthia Fenech who hurled a $6.99 roast chicken at an opposition customer after an argument sparked at Costco Epping was jailed for trafficking drugs.
Fenech was sentenced in County Court in May to a minimum two year and six month jail term after pleading guilty to trafficking a commercial quantity of meth and 1,4 butanediol.
Fenech was done for trafficking drugs at her former Thornbury home between November 19, 2020 and January 28 last year.
Police launched covert sting “Operation Measles” to take down Fenech’s racket.
The court heard Fenech sold meth and bute to undercover cops on eight occasions.
The transactions increased in size and occurred at Fenech’s home, a Footscray property, at Carlton and the Thomastown Recreation and Aquatic centre.
During one deal, Fenech told cops she was taking a risk moving the “juice” and “you’ll do five years” for trafficking commercial quantity drugs.
Fenech sold 109g of meth and more than 7kg of bute for a combined $33,800 to undercover cops.
Fenech also pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Drug Court in April to multiple charges including wilfully damage property.
Fenech and an accomplice got into a spat with two men while queuing at the Deveny Rd Costco check-out on December 24 last year.
Fenech reached into their trolley, pulled out their carefully selected rotisserie chicken and pinged it at her shopping nemesis.
The chook hit the man’s torso, fell from its packaging and lobbed on the floor where it was “destroyed”.
Fenech was jailed for a maximum of four years for her drug offences.
GLAMOUR GIRL’S LOVEBIRD DRUG BUSINESS
A South Yarra glamour girl and her boyfriend were done for a joint meth and GHB trafficking racket which operated out of their apartment.
Maria Romeo was sentenced in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in January to an 18-month community correction order after pleading guilty to charges including trafficking meth.
Romeo’s partner Mitch Elliott joined her girlfriend in the sin bin after he was sentenced in May to a 24-month CCO after pleading guilty to trafficking meth.
Romeo and Elliott, who both pleaded guilty to trafficking 1,4 butanediol, were nabbed at their South Yarra studio apartment early on September 2, 2020.
Police stormed the apartment to find Romeo and Elliott in bed together.
Investigators also discovered a bevy of drugs, $4070 cash, a stack of counterfeit dough, fake IDs, bogus cheques, passports, an iPad, mobile phones, scales and empty deal bags.
Police seized a kilo of bute, meth, ketamine, MDMA and various steroids and prescription drugs including Xanax and Oxycodone.
Drug paraphernalia was also located “throughout” the apartment.
The pair was arrested and hauled away for questioning.
which depicted Elliott conducting various drug deals at the apartment complex.
Elliott, who also pleaded guilty to drug and steroid possession and dealing with the proceeds of crime, was linked to the cash haul.
Investigators discovered messages and photos which indicated Elliott and Romeo were up to their necks trafficking drugs.
Romeo, who also pleaded guilty to dealing with the proceeds of crime, claimed, via social media, to be a former Melbourne showgirl.
Romeo was convicted and ordered to perform 150 hours of unpaid community work with discounts for rehabilitation and treatment.
Elliott was also ordered to perform 150 hours of community service.
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