In short:
A 27-year-old Werribee man has been sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment by the Melbourne County Court for attempting to import 63kg of methamphetamine, money laundering and drug trafficking. He will be eligible for parole after serving 11 years and six months.
Court hands down sentence
A Werribee man has been jailed for 17 years over a major drug trafficking and money laundering operation involving the attempted importation of 63kg of methamphetamine.
The 27-year-old was sentenced by the Melbourne County Court on Friday, 3 July 2026 (AEST), and will be eligible for parole after serving 11 years and six months.
He had previously pleaded guilty to attempting to import a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, dealing with money believed to be proceeds of crime exceeding $100,000, trafficking a large commercial quantity of ketamine, methamphetamine, cocaine and MDMA, and a separate charge of trafficking MDMA.
The case was investigated by the Victorian Joint Organised Crime Taskforce, a multi-agency unit comprising the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police, Australian Border Force, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and Department of Home Affairs. The sentencing follows a run of major trafficking prosecutions across Melbourne’s west, including police dismantling a drug syndicate operating out of Williams Landing earlier this year.
AFP Detective Inspector Chris Salmon said the sentence reflected the seriousness of the offending. “This offender played a deliberate role in a criminal enterprise driven by profit, with no regard for the damage inflicted on individuals and the broader community,” Det Insp Salmon said. “Organised crime groups see Australia as a high-value market, but the AFP and our partners are equally determined to disrupt and dismantle these operations.”
Victoria Police Detective Acting Inspector Matt Illingworth said the harm caused by illicit drugs extended well beyond the people who use them. “The harm caused by these illegal substances is far-reaching. It extends well beyond those who use them and can have lifelong impacts on innocent members of the community,” Det a/Insp Illingworth said. “Victoria Police, working alongside our law enforcement and intelligence partners, will continue to relentlessly target high-level organised crime groups involved in the trafficking, importation and distribution of illicit drugs.”
Australian Border Force Acting Superintendent Peter Alderson said the outcome sent a clear message to organised crime networks. “Criminal networks exploiting legitimate supply chains will be identified, targeted and disrupted through ongoing cooperation across jurisdictions,” a/Supt Alderson said. “This outcome reinforces that those involved in coordinating large-scale drug movements will face serious consequences under Australian law.
