Victorian man Troy Kellett ‘looking for drug haul’ when he fell from shipping container

A transport company boss who fell to his death from a shipping container had received up to $10m in his bank account days earlier.

Troy Kellett died after falling several metres from a shipping container in Adelaide.

A Victorian man who plunged from a shipping container to his death in a mystery tragedy was searching for a huge haul of drugs, police believe.

Detectives are now scrambling to find what they believe are illegal goods but fear the narcotics may have been moved on from the cargo depot before they could seize it.

Transport company boss Troy Kellett, 43, died after falling several metres from a shipping container in Adelaide at 12.30am on Sunday 9 July.

The Herald Sun can also reveal Mr Kellett received up to $10m into his bank account just 48-hours before his unexpected death.

Troy Kellett died after falling several metres from a shipping container at Outer Harbour.

His brother, Corey Kellett, said the cash came from selling equipment and the property of his specialist container transport business.

“He became a multi-millionaire on Friday and was dead on Sunday,” Corey said.

Police have said Mr Kellett’s death was an accident but have not revealed why they believe he was on top of the containers — which are stacked up to 16m high — past midnight.

Two men, Renalnto Bylo, 32, and Dasmir Kulafovski, 47 were arrested at the scene and police later found an unregistered gun at one of their homes.

“Our hypothesis is that Kellett was attempting to locate a shipping container filled with drugs when he tripped and fell in the dark” a law enforcement source said.

“We believe the drugs were intended to go back to Melbourne with (Troy) Kellett.”

Mr Kellett’s family told the Herald Sun he had sold equipment from his company, Kellett Australia, and the property where it was based in Chambers Rd, Altona North.

“Troy told us that he was 43 and that he had had enough,” Corey said.

“He said, ‘I’m sorted, I’m going to wind everything down, I’m going to enjoy retirement’.

“But he didn’t have one day of retirement. The money, millions of dollars, was in his account. We’ve got no idea why he was there (Adelaide) in the first place.”

The police source said it was believed Kellett, Kulafocski and Bylo were working together and the pair was given police bail in the hope they would lead detectives back to a potential drug stash. But they have not returned to the Outer Harbor dock site and police now fear the container has been moved on.

Police believe Troy Kellett was searching for a huge haul of drugs. Picture: Keryn Stevens

“It’s a huge site and containers are coming and going all the time. There is every possibility it has already been picked up and we’ll never see it again,” the source said.

Corey Kellett said his family didn’t have answers themselves, only questions.

“We’ve literally got no idea why he was there. I’m still in shock. For the first few days it just felt surreal. I couldn’t believe it. I thought they must have the wrong person, but it is real,” he said.

“I don’t know if someone forced him to go there or pushed for him to go there. It would just be speculation if I tried to answer why he was there. Police are asking all the family the same questions, but we don’t have any answers – only questions of our own.

“Why he was there, why he was there at night, that’s the million dollar question.”

A friend of Mr Kellett said he had received an urgent call for a shipping container to be transported from Adelaide to Melbourne but said it was unusual for Mr Kellett to do the job himself.

Troy Kellett’s daughter, Demi Deksnis, posted that her heart was broken by his death.

“Troy wouldn’t drive for no reason. Troy doesn’t drive, he hasn’t for years … he’s got in the teens of drivers there that could do the run. I don’t see why he’d be there,” he said

“It’s not Troy to drive, it’s not Troy to take off on Saturday when he’s got kids.”

The Herald Sun can reveal one of the men arrested at the scene of Mr Kellett’s death, Dasmir Kulafovski, is an associate of his.

Mr Kulafocski, 47, originally from Macedonia, ran several failed businesses in Victoria – across Hoppers Crossing, Williams Landing, Flemington and Tarneit – for at least 15 years up until 2020.

Mr Kulafocski and Mr Bylo were charged with being unlawfully on premises, possessing as unregistered firearm and possessing a firearm without a licence. Mr Kulafocski was also charged with giving a false home address.

Mr Kellett’s daughter, Demi Deksnis, posted on social media after hearing of his death.

“R. I. P dad. My heart’s broken,” she wrote.

“I keep thinking your (sic) gonna pull up in the driveway any minute now.

“Thank you for always being the best man in all our lives. I couldn’t of (sic) asked for a better dad.”

South Australia police said why Mr Kellett was at the dock site is still being investigated.

“The matter is currently under investigation as to the circumstances as to why the man was at Outer Harbour,” a spokeswoman said.

“A report is being prepared for the coroner regarding the circumstances of his death. As such we will not be making any further comment regarding the investigation.”