Melbourne ecstasy/MDMA dealers: Domenic Luzza, Paul Rodgerson and Aravinda Mathuran exposed
Melbourne’s ecstasy and MDMA traffickers unleash their scourge at bars and clubs but the party is over for these bad boy dealers.
Melbourne City
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Eccies, pills, pingers, flippers, they’re known as many different things on the street but the dangerous party drug known as MDMA and commonly sold as ecstasy leads to serious health concerns and sometimes death.
A former Neighbours actor, a key henchman in a Comanchero-linked drug crew and a local dad who masterminded the ‘Flying Kangaroo’ syndicate are among the faces of Melbourne’s ecstasy and MDMA scourge.
See the full list.
Comanchero KINGPIN’S MDMA EMPIRE
Comanchero drug syndicate boss and eccie peddler Domenic Luzza was brought down at a suburban pizza joint.
Luzza was sentenced in the County Court in October to a minimum four-year jail term 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 including right-hand man Lorenzo Carbone used false names and addresses and encrypted phone apps in an attempt to keep their clandestine operation hidden from police.
Police also intercepted a Wickr conversation in which Luzza discussed an MDMA deal on September 11, 2019.
Luzza was helping an associate source some ‘Blue Grenades’ (MDMA).
A few days before the deal Luzza obtained 1kg of a substance he described to be ‘MD’.
Luzza was jailed for a maximum seven years.
Carbone was sentenced last year to a maximum five years and six months with a minimum of four years after pleading guilty to trafficking a commercial quantity of drugs.
UNEMPLOYED TWEAKER’S HOTEL MDMA 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 last year 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.
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.
CHEF COOKS UP ECSTASY TRADE
Former chef Cameron Davie was nabbed dealing ecstasy and ketamine after losing work during lockdown.
Davie was sentenced in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in January last year 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.
FALLEN ACTOR’S PARTY DRUG BUSINESS
Former Neighbours actor Aravinda Mathuran imported and sold high-quality drugs under the alias ‘drkemist’.
Mathuran was sentenced in the County Court in July 2020 to 39 months’ jail – with 21 months wholly suspended – after pleading guilty to importing and trafficking drugs.
Mathuran was busted after the Australian Border Force intercepted 15 parcels containing a combined weight of more than half a kilo of MDMA with a street value of $40,000.
The parcels, which also contained cocaine and ketamine, were mailed from the United Kingdom, Germany and France between September 2018 and February 2019.
Analysis of his phone revealed evidence of numerous MDMA, cocaine and LSD transactions stretching back to 2018.
The court heard Mathuran worked as an insurance broker before appearing in Australian television shows such as Neighbours and commercials for brands including Carlton Draught, Cbus, Sportsbet and Bupa.
ROWVILLE MAN’S VIRTUAL MDMA RACKET
A Rowville man ran a virtual drug trafficking business which included sniffer-dog proof “festival packages”.
Satvik Singh was sentenced in the County Court in March 2021 to time served — 54 days — after pleading guilty to trafficking a commercial quantity of MDMA.
Police raided the Rowville home Singh shared with his parents and little sister on March 5, 2020.
Singh was nabbed with 163 grams of MDMA, 16g of ketamine and $21,600 cash stashed within Prada, Johnny Walker and Versace bags.
Investigators also seized a stack of empty capsules, capsule fillers and a vacuum bag sealer.
The court heard the approximate street value of Singh’s drugs was $52,000.
Investigators analysed Singh’s phone and discovered the extent of his trafficking racket which he ran via SMS, Wickr, Facebook Messenger and Snapchat.
The court heard Singh also kept drug price lists for clients and offered special festival packages which ranged in price from $50 to $1100.
These packages included sniffer-dog proof drug bundles, the court heard.
Police also discovered messages from Singh’s mum warning her son to quit the drug business.
“Do you still sell shit?” she said.
“The undercover cops will get you, I’m warning you.”
Singh, who also pleaded guilty to trafficking ketamine, spent 54 days on remand before doing four months at a drug rehab facility.
The court heard Singh, who was convicted of trafficking cocaine in 2018, became addicted to drugs after he was bullied at school for being too skinny.
Singh left school, got involved with “gangs” and had a $1500 a day drug habit at the time of his arrest, the court was told.
The court was told Singh was now doing marketing and advertising work for the family business.
Singh also enrolled at Deakin University where he is studying a bachelor of business and real estate, the court heard.
Singh was also handed a three-year community correction order with 300 hours of unpaid community work and drug treatment requirements.
THE ‘FLYING KANGAROO’ ECSTASY SYNDICATE
Aspendale dad Paul Rodgerson was revealed as the ringleader of a drug gang which manufactured and peddled ecstasy via the dark web.
Rodgerson was sentenced in the County Court in February 2021 to a minimum three years and eight months’ jail after pleading guilty to charges including trafficking a marketable quantity of MDMA.
Federal authorities latched onto Rodgerson, who ran drug gang ‘The Flying Kangaroo’ and his crew after discovering an advert on darknet site Dream Market.
Covert operative ‘Red Bandit’ purchased the gang’s signature Qantas logo stamped flying kangaroo ecstasy via Wickr, Dream Market and dark web site AlphaBay.
FBI evidence revealed 72 separate buyers — not including Red Bandit — purchased 3130 Flying Kangaroo tablets via AlphaBay using Bitcoin at a combined value of almost $32,000 USD.
A crony manufactured the ecstasy at a Moorabbin factory leased by Rodgerson, while the gang sought to purchase pill presses and had dealings with manufacturers in China.
Rodgerson was jailed for a maximum six years and five months.
GUN-TOTING MDMA PUSHER
Tooled-up ecstasy dealer Rhys Henderson shot a man that refused to pay his prostitute girlfriend because the service was too expensive.
Henderson was sentenced in the County Court in June 2021 to a minimum of three years and six months’ jail after pleading guilty to trafficking MDMA and using a firearm.
Henderson violated Melbourne’s lockdown laws to drive his girlfriend to a sex work appointment at a man’s Dallas home on September 28, 2020.
The woman went inside the unit where she argued with the punter about her price.
The man refused to cough up $850 for services despite having $900 cash on him, the court heard.
The punter told the woman he wanted to cancel his appointment but she refused to leave without being paid.
She then went on her phone.
Henderson drove the Porsche the couple had arrived in down the man’s driveway and walked up to the front door carrying a black pistol.
Henderson attempted to open the door, but the victim stopped him, leading to a struggle during which Henderson screamed and swore for about 10 minutes.
Henderson fired a shot through the door’s glass panelling which hit the man in the upper thigh.
The woman then demanded the injured man hand over his money, and he gave her his $900, before the couple sped from the scene.
Henderson was on bail at the time after police raided his Rosanna home and seized 581 grams of MDMA in more than 200 ecstasy pills found beneath the stairs on January 11, 2019.
The court heard the former concreter and landscaper had previously been convicted of stalking.
Henderson was jailed for a maximum of five years.
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