Dandenong drug traffickers: Frankie Zhang, Duke Jenkin and Trisharne Greene
A convicted drug trafficker who was trying to flee Melbourne was stopped by cops at the airport with meth and heroin stashed in his undies. Meet some of the southeast’s worst drug traffickers.
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A Berwick welder, a Carrum Downs carpenter and a drug trafficker turned stolen car dealer who tried to smuggle meth out of the country in his undies — These are the drug traffickers who have been through Dandenong Magistrates’ Court in 2024.
Frankie Zhang
A drug trafficker turned stolen car dealer begged a court for freedom after he was busted trying to flee the country with meth and heroin in his undies.
Frankie Zhang, 30, pleaded guilty in Dandenong Magistrates Court in May to 19 charges, including dealing with proceeds of crime and drug possession.
Zhang – who previously spent three years behind bars in 2019 for trafficking meth and heroin – moved from drug trafficking to selling stolen cars since being released.
Cops swooped in on Zhang at Melbourne airport as he was trying to flee Melbourne with meth and heroin hidden in his undies.
On his way to China, Zhang had stashed five zip lock bags with the narcotics, in an attempt to “get clean”.
“I didn’t know what else to do, I wanted to go overseas to sort myself out,” he said.
Zhang was arrested again on July 29 last year after being caught driving a car involved in an aggravated burglary from a Hawthorn property.
He told police he had sold the car for his friend for $3000, despite the car being worth $50,000.
Zhang pleaded guilty to charges involving the reselling of other stolen cars, including a Land Rover and a Porsche Macan with a joint value of $140,000.
At the time of his arrest, Zhang was in possession of a loaded pen pistol, meth and MDMA.
Zhang was sentenced with conviction to 15 months imprisonment, with 194 days time served and the rest to be served in the community on a two-year drug and alcohol order.
His licence was also cancelled and disqualified for three months.
Duke Jenkin
A Carrum Downs carpenter caught trafficking 350g of cocaine and $59,000 in cash, claimed he was only “transporting the drugs”.
Duke Jenkin, 36, pleaded guilty in the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on June 14, to drug trafficking, drug possession, driving unlicensed and driving without an interlocker.
After being caught by cops driving while suspended in February last year, a vehicle search turned up a bag containing 350g of cocaine and $59,350 in cash, alongside an undisclosed amount of testosterone.
The court heard Jenkin was taken into police custody where he later made a no comment interview.
Jenkin’s lawyer Avi Furstenberg said his client was an “employee”.
“He was transporting the bag containing the drugs and cash from one place to another,” he said.
“In return he would be given drugs for his own consumption.”
The court was told Jenkin had a prior conviction and had spent time behind bars for trafficking cocaine in 2020.
Magistrate Jacinta Studham said that Jenkin’s driving history alone “warranted” a term of imprisonment.
“This is your 10th driving while suspended charge,” she said.
“You’ve also pleaded to a high level of trafficking.
“You knew what you would be putting at risk by involving yourself in this conduct. Today is a result of the choices you’ve made.”
Ms Studham sentenced Jenkin to nine months behind bars with conviction.
Trisharne Greene
A Berwick welder and father was tending to nine cannabis plants when police raided his property over a “prolific” trafficking operation.
Trisharne Greene pleaded guilty in the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on October 4 to trafficking charges after a raid on his home turned up more than 25 cannabis plants and a “significant amount” of dried vegetable matter.
The court heard police raided Greene’s home on December 28 last year where they found him in the backyard tending to nine cannabis plants.
After a search of the house, cops seized 29 plants in total, alongside 46 zip lock bags with dried green vegetable matter, loose ground cannabis and cannabis seeds, seven jars of THC lollies and Greene’s mobile phone.
An analysis of his phone found further evidence of cultivating and trafficking in his text messages and photos, where he was quoting $200 for bud vapes and other cannabis products.
Greene made full admissions to police regarding his possession of the plants, however said he was producing the drug for personal use, to treat an ongoing back injury he’d suffered at work.
Magistrate Jacinta Studham likened Greene’s home to a “greenhouse”.
“You are running an operation, you’re not just trafficking for friends or your own personal use, there are texts here where you’re meeting halfway with people to do deals,” she said.
“This is prolific trafficking, this is a really serious matter. You’re basically got a greenhouse in your home.”
Ms Studham said Greene was “fortunate” police only found cannabis.
“You’ve put so much at stake with this offending,” she said.
“I’m not imprisoning you today, but understand you came very close.”
Greene was sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid community work and a two year community corrections order with conviction.
