Probe into drug trafficker’s wild police chase death

The death of a former violent Queensland drug trafficker and powerlifter during a wild police chase in northern NSW is set to be probed by a coroner.

Narayan Rodwell.

The death of a former violent Queensland drug trafficker and powerlifter during a wild police chase in northern NSW is set to be probed by a coroner.

Narayan Rodwell, 32, died when he was hit by a vehicle on the M1 at Clothiers Creek, south of Tweed Heads, in September 2022.

Mr Rodwell was the younger brother of fellow convicted Queensland drug trafficker Dean O’Donnell, who was dramatically arrested with his beauty queen partner in a pre-dawn raid 2016 in which cops lobbed flash grenades into their bedroom.

Mr Rodwell, who was arrested along with associates in parallel raids on the Fraser Coast, died during a police pursuit which began in Byron Bay on September 29, 2022, after he was seen by cops driving erratically.

Police deployed road spikes near Cudgera Creek and said Mr Rodwell was hit by another vehicle as he fled after jumping out of his car while it was still moving.

Speaking at the time, NSW police Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said critical incident investigators would examine issues including why police chose to stop Mr Rodwell’s vehicle and whether drugs or alcohol were involved.

Investigators will examine why police chose to stop Mr Rodwell’s vehicle and whether drugs or alcohol were involved.

Mr Rodwell had embraced spiritualism and clean living since being released from jail in 2019 after being sentenced to six years behind bars for offences including drug trafficking, assault and burglary with violence.

A coroner will probe the circumstances of his death in an inquest due to start in Byron Bay early next month.

Mr Rodwell was among three men convicted in 2017 over their involvement in a Fraser Coast drug trafficking ring which the Supreme Court heard used “thuggery” and “brutal acts of violence” against drug debtors.

The court heard Rodwell was once a skilled sportsman and promising student before he was derailed by drugs.

Mr O’Donnell and his partner Felicia Djamirze were also charged with drug offences after being arrested in the 2016 police raids that also netted Mr Rodwell and two other men.

The Supreme Court heard Ms Djamirze, a former Miss Global Australia and Miss International Australia pageant winner, suffered severe burns after a flash grenade exploded in her face during a police raid on their Susan River property near Hervey Bay.

She told the court the grenades landed on their bed, leaving a “crater … so big you could put your shoulder through it”.

Ms Djamirze, also known as Felitciana Zsha’Mirzze, later launched a $1.2m lawsuit against the state over her injuries.

She was given a suspended three-year jail sentence in 2018 for supplying methamphetamine.

Her sentencing hearing heard she and Mr O’Donnell were selling ice supplied to them by Gold Coast bikie Shane Ross, who was shot dead along with car business partner and Cameron Martin in 2019.

Narayan Rodwell.

Mr O’Donnell was sentenced to 10 years’ jail in 2019 for drug trafficking but was released in February last year.

Many of his assets, including his Susan River property and a flashy Chrysler, were frozen by the courts as alleged proceeds of crime. Some, including guns, cash and designer clothing and accessories and a Yamaha Grizzly quad bike, were permanently forfeited in 2019.

After he got out of jail, where he was diagnosed with cancer, Mr O’Donnell and Ms Djamirze reunited and became re-engaged, with plans to marry this year.

She told the Sydney Morning Herald last year that her fiance’s drug-dealing days were “100 per cent” over and they were now living a new life with their three French bulldogs.

“We’ve lost too much. If he were ever to go back inside, it would be a death sentence. Nothing’s worth your freedom,” Ms Djamirze said.

Originally published as Probe into drug trafficker’s wild police chase death