Melbourne drugs: cocaine mum, Rainbow Serpent dealer among four to be jailed
A music festival tent man on his way to a popular event in country Victoria didn’t make it after he was busted for something else he was looking to supply. Also, a dole-bludging heroin dealer has copped a huge dressing down from a judge.
North West
Don't miss out on the headlines from North West. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A coke-smuggling mum, a Rainbow Serpent dope pusher, a bute importer and a big-time heroin dealer have all been punished for drug offences.
The four convicted criminals got their comeuppance in separate matters heard at the County Court in the past few weeks.
Mum Eliane Silveira Bastos was arrested at Melbourne Airport on May 28, 2019 after she attempted to smuggle in 2kg of cocaine from her home country of Brazil.
Federal police busted Bastos with the dope concealed in the lining of two suitcases.
Officers drilled the suitcases open to access the cocaine which had a street value of more than $1.1 million.
Bastos, 50, was jailed for seven years and eight months with a non-parole period of three years and ten months after pleading guilty to importing cocaine.
Festival tent contractor Martin Mahoney was pinged with a stack of cocaine, ketamine and MDMA while on his way to Rainbow Serpent – a festival linked to illicit drug use and overdoses.
Mahoney and a cooffender were intercepted at a service station while making an early journey to the Lexton festival on January 17, 2018.
Police seized a “tick list of money owed”, electronic scales, $10,705 cash, a laptop, cannabis, $6200 USD cash, mobile phones, 122gm of cocaine, 78.9gm of ketamine, 40mg LSD and 13mg of MDMA.
Mahoney, 37, was sentenced on February 26 to time served – 69 days – and a 30-month community corrections order after pleading guilty to drug trafficking.
Mahoney ran his own business supplying tents to festivals but also earned $200,000 – $250,000 as a Metro Tunnel contractor, the court heard.
Dad Rafaat Danaf was busted by police attempting to import almost 450kg of bute (1,4 butanediol) from China to his Glenroy property on April 13, 2018.
Investigators swooped and arrested Danaf after they intercepted 12 barrels the legal to import industrial solvent which mirrors GHB when ingested.
Police also seized $241,000 and documentation which related to bute aka “liquid fantasy”.
Danaf was charged again after authorities seized another 50 litres of bute which arrived from China on April 18.
Danaf, 32, was sentenced on March 6 to six years’ jail with a non-parole period of four years after pleading guilty to attempting to traffick 1,4 butanediol.
Joining Danaf in prison was former big-time heroin dealer Anthony Lam.
Lam’s luck ran out after he was busted at his Avondale Heights home on September 27, 2018 with almost 600gm of heroin and 359gm of meth.
Lam was also nabbed with a cash counter, scales, deal bags, and more than $75,000 cash at the Cresswold Ave home.
Police also seized drugs in deal bags hidden under the dashboard of a black BMW parked at the house.
Lam, 30, was sentenced on February 27 to seven years’ jail with a non-parole period of 4 years and 6 months after pleading guilty to drug trafficking.
Judge Frances Hogan said illicit drugs were a “pernicious influence in our society”.
“This is a wonderful country, yet so many lives and relationships are ruined by illicit drug use,” she said.
“You, at age 30, are an example of a wasted life thus far.
“You have led a self-indulgent, feckless existence, not working and … receiving Centrelink benefits, whilst all the time apparently being able to access accommodation, food, clothing and drugs to not only feed your habit but well in excess of that habit.
“Your case is far removed from the pathetic street dealer whom one often sees dividing his own pitiful purchase and mixing it with something and onselling it in order to feed his wretched addiction.”
MORE NEWS
NASTIEST MELBOURNE DRUG DEALERS TO GO DOWN IN 2019