Southsada Sananikone accused of running massive drug empire with daughter Mimi

The son of an elderly Melbourne woman accused of being a darkweb drug mastermind claims his mother is incapable of using a computer.

Southsada Sananikone, 78, was allegedly running a sophisticated darkweb drug business from their tiny unit in Hughesdale.

An elderly woman has been unmasked as one of the alleged masterminds in a major family-run drug trafficking racket.

Southsada Sananikone, 78, and her daughter, Mimi Sananikone, 42, were busted allegedly running a sophisticated darkweb drug business from their tiny unit in Hughesdale.

The property was raided by drug squad detectives, who allegedly uncovered years of evidence of drug trafficking involving complex cryptocurrency networks and the postage system.

While Southsada may appear harmless and frail, police allege she is highly skilled on the darkweb and, if freed from prison, could use her extensive overseas networks and drug profits to flee the country.

However Southsada’s son claimed she could not even operate a computer and doubted she knew she was dealing drugs, including methamphetamine, cocaine, ketamine and steroids.

“My mum is so against drugs. I don’t even know if she knows what she was helping my sister pack,” he said.

Southsada Sananikone, 78, was allegedly running a sophisticated darkweb drug business.

He said he thought his mum and sister were running a successful herbal tea business.

Now he holds grave fears his unwell mum could die in prison.

“I don’t even want to think what’s going to happen to Mum. At her age, she might die in jail and I won’t even be able to see her,” the son said.

“I am devastated. I didn’t know this was going on. All I saw was the tea.”

The Laotian-born mother and daughter were arrested by Joint Taskforce Icarus detectives on February 23 after an extensive period of police surveillance.

Court documents show the pair were tracked as they allegedly mailed dozens of drug parcels at post offices in South Oakleigh, Darling, Murrumbeena and Springvale.

On February 18, Southsada drove to Australia Post in Darling where she allegedly submitted 40 packages for delivery.

They were seized by police and allegedly found to contain 45.8g of methamphetamine, 30.2g of cocaine, 6.1g of heroin, 7.6g of ecstasy, 80mls of testosterone, 2g of ketamine and 50 unidentified tablets, the court documents show.

Southsada and her daughter, Mimi, before their arrest.

Several days earlier, Southsada was driven by her daughter in a silver Mercedes Benz to a South Oakleigh post office where she paid for the express postage of 37 parcels.

The packages were also seized and allegedly found to contain a similar volume of illicit drugs.

After a final police surveillance operation, the pair was arrested on Warrigal Rd, Hughesdale.

Court documents reveal they were pulled over in their car, which allegedly contained a 1kg parcel of amphetamine collected that day from Sandown Village Australia Post.

A subsequent raid of their Hughesdale unit allegedly uncovered 2.5kg of amphetamine, 200g of ketamine, 90g of opium, 290g speed base, 190g of cocaine, 200g of methamphetamine and 3kg of anabolic steroids.

Almost $400, 000 in cryptocurrency, a Mercedes AMG worth $65,000 and other proceeds of crime were also seized, according to court documents.

Both women are facing commercial drug trafficking charges which carry long prison stints.

While Mimi made no application for bail, Southsada – who has heart problems and asthma – tried and failed.

This Hughesdale home was raided by drug squad detectives.

Her bail application was denied based on police concerns she was a flight risk with significant means and motivation.

A statement by the police informant alleged Southsada had been trafficking drugs on the dark web “for years” and likely had access to large sums of cryptocurrency which could be used to flee Australia.

“The accused and co-accused regularly travel to Laos and appear to have contacts in that country. Laos does not have an extradition treaty with Australia,” the statement read.

“(Southsada) is well versed in the dark web, which is a conduit to a multitude of clandestine services. Should the accused be allowed to go free she will have access to years of drug trafficking profits in the form of cryptocurrency and the capacity to utilise these services to flee the country.

“Should (she) get to Laos police will have been capacity to retrieve her. This is if she makes it to Laos. Journeys of this nature can be exceedingly dangerous. Southsada is elderly and may not survive the journey.”

The accused drug traffickers will remain locked up until their court appearances in June.

ORDINARY LIFE FOR MUM AND DAUGTHER

If drugs were being dealt out of any home in Hughesdale, the Sananikones were the last ones neighbours would suspect.

The rundown unit from the outside appears to be the quiet living quarters of a caring middle-aged woman and her slight elderly mother.

Neither Mimi or Southsada Sananikone paraded any symbols of wealth.

Leaving their rental each day in normal clothing and with no fancy car or boat in the driveway, the pair appeared to be living an ordinary life.

But police allege the mother and daughter had for years been running a massive drug empire and amassed hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cryptocurrency.

While Mimi made no application for bail, Southsada – who has heart problems and asthma – tried and failed.

One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said the women were the most unlikely of suspects.

“If someone asked me where I think this would be happening in the neighbourhood, I would have gone through everyone in Hughesdale and they would be the last ones I would think of,” the neighbour said.

“I am struggling to believe it.”

Neighbours said Southsada did not appear to speak much English and would often be seen walking around the neighbourhood or popping out on foot for groceries.

On social media, the mother and daughter appeared to be joined at the hip.

Mimi Sananikone at the famous Fushimi Inari Taisha in Japan.

The Sananikones accompanied each other on several holidays across Asia in recent years, sharing photos of themselves smiling at the famous Fushimi Inari Taisha in Japan and in front of Hong Kong’s city skyline.

One image posted by Mimi in 2014 showed Southsada at a tulip festival.

“Mummy in her element with these beauties,” the caption read.

While the drug trade contributes to immeasurable crime, violence, death and suffering, Mimi portrayed herself to the outside world as a generous person.

Posting a photo of herself donating blood in Southbank in 2015, she wrote: “Today marks my 40th blood donation. This is the most expensive and precious Christmas gift I have to offer my lucky recipients”.