Andrew Benz – akay AN0M user ‘The Pope’ – trafficked $37.5m in meth but is challenging legality of message intercepts

A horse trainer known as ‘The Pope’ was caught trafficking $37.5m of meth – now newly released AN0M messages reveal what was going on behind the scenes.

On April 7, 2021, just after the evening news, a user of the AN0M encrypted app received a message saying “Pope finished”.

The ambiguous two-word message referred to the seizure of 50kg of methamphetamine with a street value of as much as $37.5m and the arrest of horse trainer Andrew Benz who police say also went by the AN0M handle “The Pope”.

Benz pleaded guilty to trafficking the 50kg of methamphetamine, which was found in the back of a semi-trailer he was driving, and a further 5.585kg of cannabis found at a Penfield Gardens property.

Drug trafficker Andrew Benz – The Pope – outside Adelaide Magistrates Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

Court documents released to The Advertiser ahead of Benz’s sentencing submissions show an exchange of messages on the AN0M platform between a syndicate alleged to be organising the transport of the drugs from Sydney to Perth via Adelaide.

Yasmin McMahon, for Benz, told the District Court last week that while her client admitted having the drugs in his truck, he was contesting the legality of the AN0M intercepts, which provided messages planning the transport of the drugs.

Ms McMahon said she was ready to challenge the legality of the messages as early as next month.

The validity of the warrants used to intercept the AN0M messages leading to the arrest of more than 100 people in South Australia alone is being tried in a separate test case in the Supreme Court.

In that case three people’s charges of possessing firearms and trafficking drugs have been fast-tracked so a ruling can be passed on whether the millions of intercepted messages can be admitted as evidence.

The prosecution’s factual summary lodged in Benz’s case show messages sent and received by a phone in his possession discussed the creation of “bullshit emails” to cover the tracks of the illicit cargo.

The 50kg of meth seized by SA Police during Operation Ironside investigations. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

On March 23, 2021, a phone linked to Benz confirmed he was on his way back to Adelaide from Sydney. He asked whether Perth was “locked in”.

Benz was told by another syndicate member it was, but he would have to sit on the package for “two weeks max”.

On March 30 Benz asked if he could go to WA the next week. He was told yes but reminded to “do emails back and forth to yourself, starting over the next couple of days or whatever”.

On April 6 Benz was stopped in the truck after police watched him leave the property of an associate.

The next day syndicate members became aware of the arrest and on April 10 one of the members sent a summary of the situation.

“Spoke to horse guy … he said he got pulled over … then they raided his house … storage place … 10 pounds of green and packaging shit,” the messages read.

Benz is also facing more than 20 counts of drug trafficking and money laundering linked to Operation Ironside, including an allegation of laundering more than $4m in one hit.

His sentencing submissions on the 50kg charge were adjourned until after the test case is heard in the Supreme Court later this year.

Originally published as Andrew Benz – akay AN0M user ‘The Pope’ – trafficked $37.5m in meth but is challenging legality of message intercepts