A Melbourne man, who the AFP alleges is the head of an organised crime gang, has been charged with Directing activities of a criminal organisation contrary to section 390.6(2) Criminal Code (Cth) while in prison.
The AFP alleges the man, aged 33, pretended to be speaking to his lawyer over a prison phone when actually ordering members of a Melbourne-based crime syndicate to set up significant illicit drug importations.
A Melbourne woman, aged 28, who was allegedly carrying out some of the orders of the jailed man, has been charged with importing a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs (56 kilograms of methamphetamine and 13 kilograms of heroin). She faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Saturday evening (23 April 2022) and has been remanded in custody.
An additional charge of attempting to import 400 kilograms of methamphetamine was laid against her on Monday (25 April 2022). She faces life imprisonment if convicted of either offence.
The man faces 15 years' imprisonment for allegedly directing the activities of a criminal organisation. On Saturday (23 April), he was also charged with allegedly importing a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs (56kg of methamphetamine and 13kg of heroin), a sentence that carries life imprisonment.
The AFP charged the man at Barwon Prison and his legal representative appeared on his behalf at the Melbourne Magistrates Court via video link.
At the time of the charges, the man was in Barwon Prison waiting to be sentenced on murder charges brought by Victoria Police.
The pair is next due in court in August (2022).
AFP Assistant Commissioner Southern Command Krissy Barrett said the man was facing serious charges.
"There has only been a handful of occasions where the AFP has charged an alleged offender with directing the activities of a criminal organisation,'' Assistant Commissioner Barrett said.
"The AFP alleges this man was ordering drug trafficking while he was in jail.
"Charging this woman over an alleged 400kg shipment of methamphetamine seized in Malaysia last year is another step in bringing this syndicate to account for profiting from these incredibly harmful drugs.
"The AFP alleges this syndicate is responsible for numerous importations and will not hesitate to charge offenders when authorities have evidence to link them to previous shipments."
"The AFP continues to unleash maximum damage on the criminal environment and we never give up when it comes to identifying the heads of criminal gangs and bringing them to justice.
"The AFP will use its powers, its capability and Commonwealth legislation to bring before court offenders who believe they are out of reach of law enforcement."
Assistant Commissioner Barrett thanked Victoria Police, Corrections Victoria and Australian Border Force for assisting with the investigation. She said the AFP's strong partnerships with foreign law enforcement, including the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, had contributed significantly to the outcomes of the investigation.
Victoria Police also assisted with warrants executed at the Melbourne women's home on Saturday (24 April).
The AFP launched Operation Fuji on November 2021 after the Royal Malaysian Customs Department seized 400kg of methamphetamine at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, consigned to an address in Melbourne on 31 August, 2021.
This amount of methamphetamine could have been worth at least $160 million if sold in 1gram amounts in Australia.
AFP investigators analysed evidence found during the search warrants over the past weekend, finding material that allegedly linked the woman to this 400kg shipment.
She was then charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs, contrary to section 307.1 (by virtue of section 11.1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
It will be alleged the women organised the shipping of the consignment and had made arrangements to facilitate its arrival into Australia.
This seizure instigated investigations into a Melbourne based criminal syndicate which led police to an illicit drug seizure worth more than $55 million.
The AFP and Australian Border Force (ABF) announced the seizure of 56kgs of methamphetamine and 13kgs of heroin last month, after the consignment was transhipped through Thailand into Melbourne.
AFP and ABF officers executed search warrants in the Melbourne suburbs of Mickleham, Taylors Hill, Essendon and Greenvale on Saturday. The woman was subsequently arrested at her Mickleham home.
Police seized multiple mobiles phones, computers, storage devices, jewellery and watches, black and gold Night Rod special custom Harley-Davidson, white Mercedes G-Wagon, black and green Kawasaki, and a jet ski.
The methamphetamine and heroin seizure last month led to an international operation under Taskforce Storm between the AFP and Thai law enforcement agencies to target the criminal syndicate in the region.
Taskforce Storm is a joint operational agreement between the Australian Federal Police, Thailand Office of the Narcotics Control Board, the Royal Thai Police, the Thailand Department of Special Investigations, and the Thailand Anti-Money Laundering Office. Taskforce Storm incorporates joint investigations and intelligence exchange to combat transnational organised crime, including drug trafficking, money laundering, firearms trafficking and serious fraud.
