Malaysian man jailed over heroin syndicate
A Malaysian national who attempted to import $20 million worth of heroin has been sentenced in a Melbourne court to almost 13 years in jail.
Chow Tan, 55, pleaded guilty of attempting to posses a prohibited import as part of the trans-national heroin syndicate.
He was arrested along with co-accused Tiong Goh, 53, after a police raid on a Dandenong factory in Melbourne's south east in November 2003.
Tan was entrusted to take possession of a cargo of heroin concealed in six plastic injection moulding machines imported to Australia from Malaysia aboard the ship Magnavia, the Australian Federal Police said.
The drugs had a potential street value of $20 million.
The heroin was substituted with a harmless substance and federal agents monitored the delivery of the container to the factory.
In a sentencing hearing today, Victorian County Court judge Francis Shelton said Tan came to Australia with the sole purpose of picking up heroin.
"You played an important, dangerous and indispensable role in the importation of a large quantity of heroin into Australia," the judge said.
Tan was sentenced to 12 years and eight months in jail with a non-parole period of eight years and 10 months.