Khalil Popal: anti-bikie Echo task force ping Narre Warren North man for refusing to unlock smart phones.
A Narre Warren man was catching some forty winks when he was suddenly awakened by anti-bikie police with some urgent demands.
South East
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A Narre Warren North man has been fined $1600 and hit with a criminal conviction after pleading guilty to charges levelled by the anti-bikie Echo Task Force.
In a summary tendered by the court Khalil Popal, 26, was asleep when police entered his bedroom and demanded the pass code for three mobile phones.
The charges were not disputed by Popal.
Police said that they located a black Samsung, a white iPhone and a silver iPhone — with Popal refusing to unlock them.
Subsequent police investigations revealed that one of the phones was capable of being unlocked without a pass code, the court heard.
Popal’s lawyer, Michael Ayache, said his client’s offending was “low scale.”
“There was no suggestion he was lying to police,” Mr Ayache told magistrate Julie O’Donnell.
He told Ms O’Donnell that the charges could be dealt with without conviction.
To this submission, the magistrate said she was “far away” from Mr Ayache’s position.
“These charges exist for a reason,” she said.
Ms O’Donnell said she would convict Popal and fine him $800 on each count.