MELBOURNE: Head of drug gang jailed
A Canadian national, who was the former head of the Sam Gor syndicate, has been jailed for 16 years for his role in a conspiracy to traffic commercial quantities of illicit drugs within Australia.
The man, 62, was sentenced by the County Court last Thursdayc (Dec. 4) to 16 years’ imprisonment. He will be eligible for parole after serving 10 years.
The man pleaded guilty on November 7, to one count of conspiracy to traffic commercial quantities of border-controlled drugs.
The Australian Federal Police established Operation Volante in 2012 to investigate international triad syndicate, Sam Gor, and its drug trafficking network in Australia.
At its peak, the Sam Gor syndicate was the biggest trafficker of methamphetamine to Australia.
AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the sentencing marked the end of one of the most high-profile investigations in the AFP’s history.
“This result showcases what the AFP does best – identifying and targeting criminal syndicates that cause significant harm to our communities,’’ Commissioner Barrett said.
“Operation Volante is a culmination of 14 years of hard work and perseverance from our investigators and international network.
“This investigation highlights that the long arm of the AFP can reach criminals across the world.
“The AFP will continue to supercharge our global operations to defend and protect Australia’s future from domestic and global security threats.
“And that includes targeting criminals who wrongly believe they are out of reach of the AFP.”