A woman has confessed to trafficking 1.5 kilograms of drugs hidden under a Santa costume and collecting a $50,000 cash delivery from an alleged Comanchero bikie boss after she was arrested in connection to the AN0M app sting.
Mingyue Wen appeared in Sydney’s Central Local Court, via audiovisual link from jail, to enter a plea of guilty to one count of trafficking a commercial quantity of methamphetamine which was found stashed underneath a Santa hat and beard inside her Hurstville unit.
According to court documents, the 32-year-old came to the attention of police who were conducting a separate investigation into a suspected conspiracy to import cocaine into Australia
During April and May last year, police were investigating two men, one of whom was the alleged Comanchero south coast chapter sergeant-at-arms Emmanuel Vamvoukakis, who had been exchanging messages on the AN0M platform.
In court documents, police alleged the pair spoke about the importation of cocaine into Australia on the AN0M platform, which was a trojan horse set up by Australian Federal Police and the FBI to infiltrate and dismantle alleged criminal networks.
While Wen was not aware of what they were talking about, police discovered she was someone Mr Vamvoukakis was due to meet with.
On May 3, 2021 police watched as Mr Vamvoukakis walked with a brown paper bag down Alice Lane at Newtown in Sydney’s inner west.
Wen was seen 10 minutes later driving a black Toyota Camry, with her mother in the passenger seat, onto Alice St.
The pair got out of the vehicle and court documents state police saw Mr Vamvoukakis allegedly drop the bag that contained $50,000 into the boot of the Toyota.
After Wen received the money, police watched as she drove to various locations and stopped, including Pitt St in Sydney’s CBD, Croydon Rd at Croydon, Bullfrog St in Greenacre and Punchbowl Rd in Belmore.
Police raided Wen’s home on June 11 and discovered two large bags containing 1.5kg of ice located underneath a Santa Claus beard and hat in a green cardboard box.
Wen told police the box never belonged to her, someone gave it to her and she never looked inside.
According to court documents, Wen claimed the person who gave it to her was a “Chinese boy” named “Justin” and they only communicated through the messaging app WeChat.
After Wen was arrested, police seized her phone and translations of exchanges in Mandarin were obtained from WeChat.
They revealed Wen had been directed to pick and deliver cash around Sydney in exchange for money.
After accepting her guilty plea, magistrate Robert Williams adjourned Wen’s case to March 11 in the District Court, where a sentencing date is expected to be set.
She has been remanded in custody since her arrest.
Mr Vamvoukakis also remains remanded in custody, charged with a string of offences. They include criminal group participation and prohibited drug supply.xjmtzyw
He has entered no pleas and his case returns to Wollongong Local Court on March 2.
