EDITORIAL JANAE HOUGHTON
M
ost people know the story by now. Prominent drug trafficker Tony Mokbel was about to face a court trial on 20 March, 2006 for importing cocaine. However, Mokbel never showed up. For more than a year, and with an elaborate escape plan hatched, Mokbel was able to hide away, first in rural Bonnie Doon before boarding a yacht and making his way to a seaside town in Athens, Greece. Security and Organised Crime Intelligence Unit’s (SOCIU) Detective Sergeant Jim Coghlan was working at the Purana Taskforce at the time of Mokbel’s disappearance.
.04
.01
.03
www.police.vic.gov.au/policelife
Det Sgt Coghlan said SOCIU detectives aimed to investigate, identify and dismantle organised crime groups, using many of the experiences and successful tactics used during the Mokbel saga. “The Mokbel case is an excellent example of a multiagency approach to crime solving.” Det Sgt Coghlan said. “We managed to work so well with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) that not only did we charge Mokbel and his associates with serious criminal offences but we also assisted the ATO in issuing massive tax bills for their unexplained wealth.”
The Purana model is now being used in other Victoria Police units and taskforces, and interstate and overseas police have also shown interest in it. “At SOCIU, we continue the excellent relationship with the ATO and other agencies. Exchanging information is a great tool and often leads us to other sources we may not have had access too.” More recently, SOCIU worked with the ATO to serve $10 million worth of taxation assessments to a Melbourne crime family. Nine members of the family were issued garnishee notices on all of their identified bank accounts resulting in significant seizures. Det Sgt Coghlan explained how Purana helped track down and convict Mokbel. “At the time of his disappearance, Mokbel was on trial for Commonwealth related drug charges following that Victoria Police also had a case to put to the drug trafficker,” Det Sgt Coghlan said. “By this stage Purana had already solved many of the underworld murders and was moving into a new phase. “We decided not only to go after Mokbel for his drug crimes, but also his unexplained wealth.” Det Sgt Coghlan said while Mokbel was on the run, it was established he was still running his business from Greece. “Mokbel and his associates ran a very successful drug business nicknamed ‘The Company’. We knew they were still operating and we decided to find a way to strip them of their cash and assets,” he said. “Most underworld figures claimed in the tax returns they did submit that they were earning low incomes, yet owned multiple properties or drove around in fancy cars. “The reason many of them committed crimes was to have money to buy these toys.” After meeting with staff from the ATO, it was decided two ATO officers would be embedded into the Purana Taskforce. “From day one we involved the officers in all our meetings and briefings, we shared ideas and information and worked really well together.” While Purana detectives were able to restrain and seize assets such as houses, cars, race horses, jewellery and hidden cash, the ATO officers assessed the taxable income of targets with underworld connections and their vast unexplained wealth.
BEHIND BARS .01 Tony Mokbel. .02 Tony Mokbel's Greek mugshot, complete with wig. .03 Mokbel faces court. .04 The fake documents Mokbel had in the name of Stephen Papas.
While police worked hard to dismantle Mokbel’s company, the drug baron confidently rang friends and family from Greece. “He really did seem to believe he wouldn’t be caught,” Det Sgt Coghlan said. “He was living the high life over there, but meanwhile we had received plenty of information about his whereabouts and we even had the phone number he used to speak to close family and friends under surveillance. “While we were still unsure of his exact location, we were confident we could find him.” In May, 2007 Det Sgt Coghlan, along with an Australian Federal Police member, set off for Greece. Mokbel’s phones were still being listened to and on 5 June, police intercepted a call where he told a mate he would meet him at 11am at the Delfinia Café. By this stage, police had established Mokbel was using the alias of Stephen Papas. Det Sgt Coghlan had formed a relationship with the local Athens Police, and they were happy to assist. The police staged a fake immigration check and noticed a man up the back with longish hair and wearing a baseball cap. They asked the man to produce his identity papers. His passport had the name Stephen Papas on it. They knew they had their man. Mokbel was extradited back to Melbourne in 2008 and has been sentenced to 30 years in prison with a minimum of 22. He has exhausted all appeal processes. Throughout the investigation, Purana detectives seized more than $55 million in cash, properties, jewellery, cars and other goods. The ATO served tax bills of more than $20 million, including one for Mokbel of $9.8 million.
POLICELIFE AUTUMN 2014
25