Sydney woman jailed for attempting to possess 150kgs of MDMA and money laundering
A Sydney woman, 51, has been jailed for 12 years for her role in an international crime syndicate attempting to import millions of dollars’ worth of dangerous drugs into Australia.
In October 2019, the woman travelled to Brisbane and attempted to possess 150 kilograms of MDMA (Ecstasy).
The woman was arrested by the AFP in Sydney on 11 November 2019 and extradited to Brisbane following a joint investigation by the Queensland Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (QJOCTF), working in collaboration with the National Police of the Netherlands (NPN) Criminal Investigations Division.
She was charged with;
- Attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs, contrary to Section 307.5 and Section 11.1 Criminal Code (Cth) and;
- Dealing in money or property reasonably suspected of being proceeds of crime, contrary to Section 400.4 of the Criminal Code (Cth).
The woman was found guilty in the Supreme Court of Queensland on 16 February, 2023 and sentenced to 12 years’ jail, with a non-parole period of eight years and six months.
AFP Commander John Tanti said this operation was an excellent example of the strong partnerships the AFP had built with international law enforcement over decades.
“The AFP’s strong relationship with National Police of the Netherlands and our partners through the QJOCTF, allowed us to dismantle an organised crime group which was targeting the Australian public, pumping dangerous and illicit drugs onto Australian streets to increase their own wealth,” Commander Tanti said.
“We are committed to targeting organised crime that impacts the Australian community, wherever they may be hiding.”
In total, authorities seized 850 kilograms of crystalline MDMA and 548 litres of MDMA oil (capable of producing an additional 600 kilograms of crystalline MDMA) from locations in the Netherlands and Belgium under Operation Parazonium.
At the time of seizure, this amount of MDMA had an estimated street value of up to AUD $301.6 million in Australia, with the potential to be processed into 15 million MDMA tablets.
The QJOCTF is a multi-agency taskforce comprised of members of the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Queensland Police Service (QPS), Australian Border Force (ABF), Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), Australian Taxation Office (ATO), and Australian Transaction Reporting and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC). The role of the QJOCTF is to investigate transnational serious and organised crime threats impacting Australia.
Note to media:
Media are encouraged to include help-seeking information in stories about illicit drugs to minimise any negative impact on people in the community. The following services provide people with access to support and information.
- For free and confidential advice about alcohol and other drug treatment services call the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015.
- Access free 24/7 drug and alcohol counselling online at www.counsellingonline.org.au.
- For information about drug and alcohol addiction treatment or support, go to www.turningpoint.org.au.
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