Ifeanyi Samuel Ani jailed over $2.5m drug smuggling plot

A 39-year-old man used contacts in Asia to try to import millions of dollars worth of methamphetamine and heroin into Tasmania to pay off his growing debts. Here’s what was said in court.

A 39-year-old man used contacts in East Asia and South East Asia to try to import millions of dollars worth of methamphetamine and heroin into Tasmania to pay off his growing debt. Picture: iStock

A 39-year-old man used contacts in East Asia and South East Asia to try to import millions of dollars worth of methamphetamine and heroin into Tasmania to pay off his growing debt.

Ifeanyi Samuel Ani pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic the drugs between February 12 and August 23 last year.

Ani also pleaded guilty to attempting to traffic a controlled substance on May 26, 2023, and to trafficking in a controlled substance on September 5, 2023.

Justice Robert Pearce said Ani, who was born and educated in Nigeria, relocated to Tasmania in late 2022 on a marriage visa.

The court heard while Ani did not use drugs himself, his visa and relocation expenses put him under financial stress. So when a friend in Hong Kong suggested a way to make money through drug trafficking, he accepted.

“Your participation was not motivated by addiction but was purely financial,” Justice Pearce said.

“You made a considered and deliberate decision to, for money, become involved in the criminal importation of illicit drugs from overseas, realising the potential consequences if you were caught.”

Justice Pearce said Ani would be paid $10,000 in return for the successful delivery of each parcel.

The court heard that five packages were intercepted by the Australian Border Force in New Zealand, Sydney, and Belgium between February and May 2023.

The packages contained just over 2kg of methamphetamine with a value between about $670,000 if sold by the ounce and almost $2.1m if sold by the point.

On August 23, 2023, another package was intercepted, this time by Tasmania Police, containing 500g of heroin worth between $95,000 and $506,000. An additional package containing 500g was intercepted on September 5, 2023.

Justice Pearce said he understood that Ani could be deported under Sections 201 or 501 of the Migration Act.

“There is a prospect that your conviction and imprisonment for this crime will lead to revocation of your visa, which also may affect a possible grant of parole,” he said.

“I infer that it may also affect your ability to be with your wife if she remains in this country. However, my duty is to impose the appropriate sentence for the crimes you have committed.”

Justice Pearce convicted Ani on the indictment and sentenced him to four years imprisonment from August 29, 2023, the date he was taken into custody.

He said Ani would be eligible for parole once he has served half of the term.