Airtasker drug dealer Hayden Cox jailed for at least seven years

A Melbourne man who hired unsuspecting couriers from Airtasker to collect and deliver more than 15kg of illicit substances has been jailed for at least seven years.

A man has been jailed for a drug importation scheme using unsuspecting couriers via Airtasker.

A drug dealer who used unsuspecting mules-for-hire to deliver more than 15kg of illicit substances will spend at least seven years behind bars.

Hayden Cox, 34, was sentenced at the County Court on Thursday for a drug importation scheme that a judge described as requiring a “degree of planning and premeditation”.

Cox ordered packages containing between 500g and 9.3kg of party drugs including MDMA and ketamine delivered from Europe to rented mailboxes and lockers across Melbourne.

He then hired couriers from Airtasker — a popular online service that allows people to outsource everyday tasks — to collect the packages and deliver them to residential addresses.

The mailboxes and Airtasker account were opened using lost IDs — including a driver’s licence found near the St Kilda bar Cox operated — with the drug-dealer and his girlfriend at times pretending to be the individuals or family members of the stolen identities.

During his sentencing remarks, Judge Gavan Meredith said based on the evidence, he could not exclude that others weren’t involved in the operation.

“On the objective facts, it is apparent that yours was a trusted role, a significant one, which was necessary to the success of the overall venture,” he said.

“You were exercising a degree of agency in taking the steps which you did … in the expectation of reward.”

Cox’s early guilty plea to charges including drug importation was taken into account, with Judge Meredith finding his rehabilitation prospects were excellent.

The court also heard of Cox’s charity he started through his family while behind bars which had raised more than $25,000 towards suicide prevention and mental health research.

“I accept you have a high level of support available to you and that this is demonstrated by the 17 odd character testimonials that have been provided on your behalf,” Judge Meredith said.

Cox’s partner, Natasha Dokmanovic, 28, avoided jail after she pleaded guilty to an attempted drug possession charge for her involvement in the scheme.

Dokmanovic was released on a recognisance order while Cox was sentenced to 12 years behind bars with a non-parole period of seven years.