"Australian airport staff in cocaine cartel"

Thursday, May 12, 2005

Airport staff in cocaine cartel
By LISA DAVIES
Australia - The Daily Telegraph


TWO men on the run from police paid corrupt Qantas baggage handlers $300,000
to help smuggle cocaine past Customs, a court heard yesterday.

As details of their international cocaine ring emerged, it was revealed
Michael Nicholas Hurley, 58, and former NSW rugby league player Leslie
Robert Mara had probably fled overseas after discovering an associate was
working with police.

Police allege the pair, along with Bondi man Shayne Hatfield, 39, were the
leaders of a conspiracy to import up to 30kg of cocaine into Australia this
year, having smuggled 10kg through Sydney airport on October 8, last year.

In all, 13 men have been charged in relation to a conspiracy to import the
drugs from Argentina.

Police documents also allege Hatfield co-ordinated the supply of more than
200kg of cocaine, worth $145,000 a kilo, between June 22 and December 23
last year.

It is alleged Sean Peter North - an Australian citizen living in South
America - purchased the cocaine in Argentina and looked after the two
intended couriers, Philip Gordon Tyler, 32, and Ryan Robert Chandler.

Hurley and Mara used a Sydney international airport contact known as "Tom"
to ensure the drugs entered Australia undetected.

"They had responsibility for securing arrangements with Qantas baggage
handlers at the international airport so that a briefcase containing the
cocaine could be imported into Australia," a police fact sheet alleges.

"On 9 October, 2004, at the direction of Hatfield, [the informant] met with
Mara and gave him $300,000 to pay the baggage handlers."

The details emerged as one of those arrested this week in police raids
applied for bail in Central Local Court.

Former Macquarie Bank executive director Ian Robert Chalmers, 41, is alleged
to have bought Tyler's plane ticket for the importation.

His lawyer, John Spencer, told the court "his role, if there be a role at
all, is an extremely minuscule one".

Other men to face court but not apply for bail yesterday included former NSW
Police detective sergeant Ian Finch, Gilbert Gedeon, 28, of Winston Hills,
Norman Garry James Niass, 55, of Petersham, David Darley Dowe, 70, from
Coogee and Fawaz Mohammed Elmir, 37, from Padstow.

Late yesterday, 31-year-old Ghassan Jabour, from Bardwell Park, faced
Sutherland Court charged with supplying a commercial quantity of a
prohibited drug.

He was refused bail. 


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