Mohamad Derbas wins sentence appeal over illegally planting GPS devices on alleged underworld cars

Suburban plumber Mohamad Derbas’ not-so-smart move in using his own phone to Google how to plant GPS tracking devices on cars has landed him before a court.

Mohamad Derbas pictured outside his home in Greenacre after being released on bail for these offences in 2023.

When suburban plumber Mohamad Derbas was tasked with planting GPS tracking devices on cars linked to two alleged underworld figures, he turned to Google for help.

“Smart ways to plant a magnetic tracker” read one internet search; “smart ways to plant a magnetic tracker remotely” read another.

In hindsight, Derbas should have added the words “how to avoid getting caught” planting a magnetic tracker.

But caught he was, especially once police discovered his DNA on both devices.

The NSW District Court heard Derbas has never revealed to detectives who hired him to plant the two devices or when, but what is known is that by 2am on July 15, 2023, Derbas was in a deep dive on the internet, looking up websites that sold Mongoose-branded GPS units.

Derbas pleaded guilty to placing GPS tracking devices on two cars linked to alleged underworld figures in 2023.

He logged onto the Strathfield Car Audio and Repco websites before turning to the Mongoose site itself. He also launched a wider search through Google and tried his luck on Facebook Marketplace, using his own profile to message a seller inquiring about the availability of a second-hand tracker.

Court documents indicate Derbas already had at least one of the devices in his possession at the time, and it was subsequently placed on a Holden Commodore belonging to alleged underworld figure Raymond Crichton the following day.

Exactly how Derbas managed to fix the device to the car – and avoid detection as he did it – was not revealed in court documents.

Derbas then used the tracker to follow the Commodore to a home in Lidcombe, believed to be where Crichton was living at the time.

The court heard the device remained on the car for five days before detectives removed it, later discovering Derbas’ DNA on the exterior surface.

Generic image of a Mongoose brand Vehicle GPS Tracker. Picture: Supplied

Meanwhile, a second device was placed on a BMW belonging to Crichton’s associate, Ammar Chahal, who lived in Greenacre.

Court documents state within 48 hours of the device being activated, a shooting took place in a street adjacent to Chahal’s house.

The Crown said it was not alleged Derbas was involved in the shooting, nor that he was aware of any alleged plans to carry it out when he agreed to plant the devices on the two cars.

The court heard the BMW left the Greenacre address 10 minutes after the shooting and was driven to Homebush, where CCTV captured Chahal exit the driver’s seat and crawl under the back of the car, where he discovered the tracker.

He was then seen to get back in the car, move a short distance down the road and throw the tracker out the window before driving off.

Police later recovered the unit, which contained Derbas’ DNA.

Derbas was spared jail time on sentencing but given community service. He successfully appealed to have the community service scrapped on account of his gruelling work schedule.

Derbas was arrested in November 2023 and charged with two counts of installing a tracking device and one count of failing to comply with a digital evidence access order – the latter stemming from Derbas’ refusal to provide police with the PIN to his phone.

He pleaded guilty to the charges in the NSW Local Court and was sentenced to an 18-month intensive correction order, with 250 hours of unpaid community service work.

Derbas appealed the sentence to the NSW District Court earlier this month, where he sought to have the community service component of the sentence scrapped.

The court heard Derbas had secured a new job working six days a week, making community service an overly onerous task which would leave him no time for his young family.

Judge Michael Smith agreed to remove the community service component of the order, but replaced it with a condition that Derbas undergo monthly psychological counselling.

“I’m satisfied he’s not just trying to avoid his community service work … he’s eager to take up the [paid] work he’s been given,” Judge Smith said.

Originally published as Mohamad Derbas wins sentence appeal over illegally planting GPS devices on alleged underworld cars