A father-and-son duo have been arrested in a police sting on Sydney’s northern beaches as they allegedly attempted to remove more than $16 million worth of cocaine from a generator imported from Vietnam.
The Cat-branded generator arrived at a Cromer industrial unit last month. It is alleged Keenan Mickley, 48, and Taj Mickley, 23, were so keen to access the riches they believed were inside they went straight to Bunnings to purchase an angle grinder.
Police watched as Keenan Mickley and his son Taj allegedly attempted to access the cocaine hidden in a generator.
Police say they couldn’t prise it open, so returned to the hardware giant to purchase another Makita angle grinder and a dozen blades to complete the job.
But then the pair encountered another hurdle – the machinery contained no drugs.
Federal police officials had allegedly removed 50 kilograms of cocaine after Border Force agents detected abnormalities last month. Police then allowed the generator to be delivered and monitored the consignment as it was transported to the northern beaches industrial complex, the AFP said in a statement.
On Monday afternoon, police were watching as Keenan, of Cromer, and Taj, from Beaumont Hills in Sydney’s north-west, allegedly attempted to “access a compartment in the generator where the drugs had been hidden”, the AFP said.
Taj Mickley was arrested on Monday afternoon.Credit: AFP
Investigators allege the elder Mickley, who works as a mortgage broker at LJ Hooker and is a newly minted NRL player agent, had leased the industrial estate.
“Police also allegedly found evidence the man made overseas cash transfers to a known criminal facilitator, and recently travelled to Vietnam,” the AFP said.
Police say the seized drugs had a street value of more than $16 million.
The duo were arrested on Monday afternoon and spent the night in custody, before having their matter mentioned briefly at the Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday.
The generator that police allege contained cocaine worth $16 million.Credit: AFP
Both have been charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs. The duo will remain behind bars until at least next Tuesday, when their solicitor Abbas Soukie flagged they will apply for bail.
According to his LinkedIn, the elder Mickley is also the founder and CEO of Global VIP Society. It claims to “have access to some of the world’s most exclusive hotels, restaurants and nightclubs” and boasts access to limousines, a private jet and the latest celebrity hotspot. Global VIP Society’s social media, which has been used to variously complain about the Reserve Bank and the NSW Blues’ squad, has not been updated in more than a year.
Keenan Mickley was also the entertainment and brands director of short-lived social media platform Kwickie for a year. In 2017, corporate regulator the Australian Securities and Investments Commission warned accountants against tipping mum and dad investors into the Shane Warne-backed company.
The 50 kilograms of cocaine allegedly seized by police.Credit: AFP
A year ago, Mickley started yet another business, this time as an NRL player agent.
“Looking to take your game to the next level – as an NRL player agent I will guide, support and introduce you to teams and training regimes that can help you increase your chance of your dreams becoming reality,” he wrote in an Instagram post at the start of the year.
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