Underbelly, Hacksaw Ridge star Jarin Towney caught with $12.5m of meth hidden in imported machine, court told

The career of a former child star who featured in the TV series Underbelly and Hollywood hit Hacksaw Ridge was derailed by his use of drugs, a court has been told.

A former child star who featured in the hit TV series Underbelly was using drugs every day before he was arrested for possessing a shipment of meth valued at $12.5m, a court has heard.

Jarin Towney, 25, rose to prominence as a child actor on popular TV shows Underbelly and Packed to the Rafters before his big break in Mel Gibson’s 2016 blockbuster Hacksaw Ridge.

However, he exchanged Hollywood for handcuffs last year when he was arrested for possessing more than 62kg of methamphetamine hidden inside an imported machine.

The shipment containing the machine was intercepted in May 2023 by Chinese anti-smuggling authorities, who seized 112 kgs of meth and replaced it with a harmless substitute.

Jarin Towney has been jailed for possessing more than 60 kgs of meth. Picture: Showcase

They notified the Australian Federal Police (AFP) before the drugs arrived in Victoria and were shipped to a warehouse in western Sydney in July.

Towney was told he would be paid $50,000 for receiving and unpacking the drugs from secret compartments inside the machine.

He was asked to buy a “cheap burner phone” and equipment including buckets, face masks, a hazmat suit, and scales.

The former actor asked whether the drugs were “behind all that electrical s***” in the machine and was told he would be provided with a step-by-step guide on how to dismantle it.

The shipment arrived at the Sydney warehouse on 18 July and required a forklift to be brought inside.

Towney began disassembling the machine the next day, removing plastic wrapped packages and laying them out on the factory floor to take photos for the unknown person instructing him.

However he became concerned there were police officers outside the warehouse and messaged the person: “Cops … f*** lad”.

The person, who was using the handle Genghis Khan on an encrypted application, reassured him “Weve got people watching no cops have come thru” (sic).

“They would come thru with an army,” they wrote.

“No ones there bro” (sic).

AFP officers then raided the warehouse and saw plastic wrapped packages laid out on the floor next to the scales.

They also found a clandestine drug lab in the upper level of the warehouse.

He has been in custody since his arrest last year. Picture: NewsLocal

When officers inspected the machine days later, they found 62.4 kilograms of meth hidden inside a second secret compartment.

They estimate the drugs could be worth up to $12.5m if sold on the street.

The AFP also raided Towney’s home and discovered 67.5g of cocaine and 26.1g of MDMA which was estimated to be worth up to $29,000.

The court documents reveal Towney had been asked to do a “test run” in which he was asked to collect four packages from the post office and weigh and repackage the drugs inside.

The person known as Genghis Khan also invited him to “take a little bit for yourself for the weekend haha … It’s supposed to be 10/10”.

“Ah is this M(DMA) I thought it was rack lol,” Towney replied.

“I’ll take a gram for a raindy day I never eat M hahaha” (sic).

Khan asked him to hold on to the MDMA until his friend could sell it.

Towney appeared in the NSW District Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to possessing a commercial quantity of the border controlled drug and two counts of deemed supply of the traffickable quantity of meth.

Judge Penelope Hock noted his involvement with the commercial quantity of meth was “limited to two weeks.”

“Although he did play an important role, it was at a low level,” she said.

Judge Hock accepted Towney had been suffering from multiple mental illnesses, including complex post traumatic stress disorder and severe alcohol and stimulant use disorders, at the time of the offending.

The court was told he had begun to smoke cannabis and use MDMA and cocaine from a young age and continued to do so until he was arrested last year.

The former child actor appeared before Sydney Downing Centre District Court on Tuesday. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

He had been smoking cannabis every day at that point, Judge Hock said.

Despite a violent childhood, the court was told Towney became “very successful” as an actor before his drug use “began to escalate and affected his future prospects”.

The actor has been abstinent since his arrest and has committed to rehabilitation and educational programs in prison.

Judge Hock said he had provided a letter of remorse and his progress in jail was further evidence of his contrition.

“Provided he remains drug free, he has a low likelihood of reoffending and very good prospects of rehabilitation,” she said.

The judge backdated his sentence to take into consideration time he has already served, and sentenced him to an effective term of seven years and nine months behind bars.

The former child actor will be eligible for parole in 2027 after four years and four months.

After the decision was handed down, he waved and blew kisses at his loved ones, who filled the courtroom to catch a glimpse of him.

Originally published as Underbelly, Hacksaw Ridge star Jarin Towney caught with $12.5m of meth hidden in imported machine, court told