Why Ryan Watsford pleaded with smuggler to come save him
Ryan Watsford was in a panic. The men he was trying to sell illegally smuggled cigarettes to believed they were fake. He makes four desperate phone calls to the “professional smuggler” begging for help. READ THE TRANSCRIPT
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Ryan Watsford gets threatened by buyers who think the cigarettes he is trying to sell them are fake. He makes four desperate calls to the “professional smuggler” begging him for help. He was in fact talking to an undercover operative.
March 7, 2017. 2.12pm
WHATSAPP CALL
J Undercover opertaive Joe
R Ryan Watsford
CALL 1
R Mate, I’ve got a major problem on my hands
J What’s the problem?
R A major problem
J Yeah, what is the problem?
R I I I’m here at Chipping and they’re demanding money off me, right. You have no idea
J What, what, why do they think they're fake?
R Mate, I’m telling you, you’re gonna have to. I’ll tell … I’ve told our mate right (hiccups) I’m telling you
J Yeah, so why do they think they’re fake
R You’re gonna have to come see me mate. I can’t handle this situation, mate
J Yeah.
R They’ve gone and they’ve come back and they’ve gone ballistic at me
J Why do they think they’re fake, Ryan?
R Because … I’m waiting for the guy to come out of the truck now. You’re, you’re, you’re the expert. You know how to handle this. I mean, mate.
J Look, that’s all right. Relax. You can still get
R No, I’m not relaxed man
J I know. I can tell. Where are ya?
R I’ll message you where I am. Please. Please come here now. Please.
J All right. Just message me
THE IBRAHIM TAPES: READ THE TRANSCRIPTS
‘I HELPED SALIM MEHAJER WITH HIS MONEY’
‘YOU’VE EMBARRASSED ME IN FRONT OF THESE GUYS’
‘WHY AREN’T YOUSE DOING F**KING RACK AND SH*T?’
‘WE’RE LOOKING AT 20 YEARS JAIL, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN’
CALL 2
R Hey mate. How far away, how far are you?
J No, just listen to me for a sec, Ryan. I’m just checking the second load.
J So are these guys the same as last time or different buyers?
R Different buyers
J Well mate you didn’t tell me that
R Doesn’t matter mate
J It does matter. I’ll tell you why it matters. Ryan. Listen to me for a second
R Yeah
J I’ll tell you why it matters. These are the identical cigarettes to last time. Identical
R Identical to last time?
J Identical to the last ones that you got
R Yeah, but you’re not listening to me. I’ve got three people staring at me now saying that they’re fake, OK. I’m in a very, very, very uncomfortable situation
J Why did you not explain to them that these are identical to last time. If they were new buyers I would have given you a sample. How am I now going to go back to my people and say listen they’re not happy with the cigarettes even though they’re the exact same as last time and given them their money back
R All right you just have to come here please mate
J What do they want to do. Do they still want them? Or they don’t want them at all?
R No … I need you to sit and talk to my friend please.
J No I don’t like … Ryan just ask him now. He’s with you right now?
R Correct
J Just ask him. Doesn’t he still want them?
R No, he does not
J Or does he want to negotiate a different price?
R I’ll have to ask him
J Well, ask him
R One second
R Mate, I’ve got them looking at me now saying they want their money back. I don’t know what to do
J Well, I mean. This is why Ryan you push and push and push for these cigarette deals to happen and you don’t f**king explain things properly and it does my head in
R Sorry?
J I said you push and push and push for these cigarette deals to happen. You don’t explain things properly.
R Wait a second they’re negotiating a something price, just give me a minute please, just please. Ok. F**k. I’ll ring you back in a minute.
THE IBRAHIM TAPES: READ THE TRANSCRIPTS
PARTYING IN THAILAND WITH THE IBRAHIM FAMILY
‘FOOLPROOF’ METHOD OF IMPORTING DRUGS INTO COUNTRY
‘I’VE GOT 50 KEGS OF COCAINE IN LEBANON READY’
C ALL 3
R Yeah it’s not good. It’s not good mate
J What, so did they negotiate another price?
R No. They’ve lost it at me mate. I I I. I just, I just, I just don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to say
J I don’t know what to say either mate. Why don’t you explain things properly. I don’t get it. Like, how do I get my money back? How do I take these cigarettes and say these are the exact same as last time but I’m sorry they don’t want them anymore? They’ve got the money. You need to renegotiate a price with them. I’m happy to renegotiate but you need to f**king negotiate a price.
R You’re putting me in a really, really, really
J No no no no no. Hold on a second Ryan. Do not f**king. Ryan. Ryan, don’t go down that path. You put yourself in this f**king situation. Alright, when you don’t explain things to me properly and tell that these are new buyers. When you push me every day
R Well, it doesn’t matter what buyer it is
J It does matter. I tell you why it matters Ryan. Ryan I tell you why it matters. Ryan, I tell you why it matters. Because they are identical to the last cigarettes. And there was no issue last time
R Yeah, but why would they say to me they’re fake then, why
J They’re identical to the last cigarettes man
R They’re happy to talk to you. Can you just
J I told you this. I don’t meet just anyone. I’ll negotiate the new price through you. And whatever price we come to, we’ll take off the money for the next load. Because I’ve got the next load ready to go.
R I’ll have to ring you back
J Call me back. Bye
CALL 4
R Hey buddy
J Yeah mate
R They’re making some calls to work out what they want to do
J OK, no worries. You just keep me posted
R Yeah
R I mean yeah it’s just … you know I was telling you about the guy the humbly
J Yeah
R Well, this is the main guy
J Well good. I’m interested in dealing with them
J Ryan the thing is right. I tell you they are identical to the last. You tell me, you sit there, you understand. Why don’t you like talk to these people?
R Mate, this is what … This is why. I’m telling you. Mate it’s just put me in a position where I’m embarrassed. I don’t know what to do
J You’re not blaming me for putting you in that position. You put yourself in that position
R Yeah, you know, like
J You tell me guys wanted more and I gave you more
R Yeah
J Anyway, call me back when you’ve decided
R I don’t know what they’re going to do
J You just keep me posted
R You know
J You keep me posted
R Yep
J I’ll speak to you later
R I don’t know what they say this to me. I really don’t. But you know mate, I, I’m
J Once you speak to me, then call me back
R Righto
Originally published as Why Ryan Watsford pleaded with smuggler to come save him
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