Souknelane Meksavanh jailed for importing meth in coconut milk tins to Girraween warehouse

An international student busted for importing a huge haul of meth concealed in coconut milk cans to a western Sydney warehouse has faced his fate in court. Find out his punishment.

A Laotian student has been jailed for six years after importing 288kg of methamphetamine concealed in coconut milk tins to a Girraween warehouse following a series of WhatsApp messages with a woman he called “mommy” in 2020.

Last week, 22-year-old Souknelane Meksavanh learned his fate in the Downing Centre District Court for the drug haul — which equalled about 700 litres of meth decanted into 2064 milk tins and packed in 86 boxes — when it arrived from Thailand on August 11, 2020.

Some of the DHL Express cargo from Bangkok was stored in Thaveeros-brand tins and during transit, several leaked and were placed into DHL boxes. After leaking, some cans were destroyed for biosecurity reasons.

Days later, Australian Border Force examined the opened tins and found liquid meth, instigating the investigation into where the illicit goods were headed.

On the day the drugs landed in Australia, Meksavanh stated “everything is done mommy Tui, only wait (sic) for the company to deliver the goods and sign for them”.

The woman said the goods would have to go to Melbourne and told Meksavanh: “When this is all done mommy will transfer money to you for your holidays.”

Over August and September, the conversations continued when the pair co-ordinated the drug importation.

On September 9, 2020, Australian Federal Police purporting to be a DHL driver told Meksavanh’s friend they would deliver the package to the Great Western Highway warehouse at 10.30am.

The huge drug haul was concealed in coconut milk tins.

A man signed for the contraband and unloaded the package.

Meksavanh said the woman in Laos told him via WhatsApp to open the consignment and to record himself on video opening a can and decanting it into a clear container to send to her in Lao.

After Meksavanh and his friend visited the warehouse where they accessed the package that night, they left in his Mercedes sedan and drove to a Hoxton Park home.

But just after 11.15pm police swooped on Meksavanh’s Jabiru St home at Green Valley, seized his Laotian passport and mobile phone, and arrested him.

Meksavanh, who was in Sydney on an international student visa, told cops, through his solicitor and a Lao interpreter, that he received instructions from a woman in Laos known to him as Tui about receiving the drugs.

He confessed that he arranged for the delivery with his friend.

Meksavanh, who received $1000 in return for his assistance to help the woman in Laos, was charged and later pleaded guilty to aid or abet attempt to possess a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug (methamphetamine) between August 11 and September 10.

Souknelane Meksavanh will serve six years behind bars following his arrest.

Judge Andrew Scotting sentenced Meksavanh to six years in jail, backdated from 2020. He will be eligible for parole on September 8, 2023.

AFP Detective Acting Inspector Carly Smith said police remained committed to disrupting the activities of people attempting to import illicit drugs.

“This operation should send a strong warning to criminals that if you participate in illegal activities, the AFP will catch, arrest and prosecute you,’’ she said.

ABF aviation goods NSW Superintendent Mal Nimmo said officers were equipped with specific skills to disrupt activities.

“Our trained and experienced ABF officers prove time and time again that they will find drug shipments wherever they are from or however they may be concealed,” Supt Nimmo said.

“We work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to shut down criminal syndicates attempting to smuggle drugs into Australia and will stop at nothing to prevent illicit substances from reaching our community.”

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Originally published as Souknelane Meksavanh jailed for importing meth in coconut milk tins to Girraween warehouse