Australian Border Force

The final member of an organised crime group that orchestrated a sophisticated plot to smuggle 448 kilograms of MDMA to Australia has been sentenced to 23 years in prison. William Sartin, 63, was convicted for his role in the criminal operation following an investigation by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA). Sartin joins six co-conspirators—Danny Brown, Stefan Baldauf, Peter Murray, Tony Borg, Leon Reilly, and Philip Lawson—who were sentenced for their involvement in 2022. The smuggling network was dismantled through Operation Venetic, a UK-wide initiative that targeted criminals using the encrypted messaging platform EncroChat. Sophisticated Smuggling Plot The group concealed the MDMA within the arm of an industrial digger, a Doosan DX420, which they purchased for €75,000. The digger was first stored at an industrial unit in Grays, Essex, under Sartin’s control. The drugs were hidden behind a lead lining in the excavator’s arm, a concealment designed by co-conspirator Philip Lawson, who arranged for a welder to modify the machinery. To give the shipment an air of legitimacy, the group organised an online auction for the excavator’s arrival in Australia. The digger was transported from Leeds by Reilly’s company, Mizen Equipment, and later shipped to Brisbane, Australia, via Southampton Docks. Australian Border Force officers intercepted the shipment, x-rayed the machinery, removed the drugs, and resealed the arm to allow the delivery to proceed under surveillance. International Cooperation The digger arrived at an auction house in Brisbane before being transported to a site west of Sydney in May 2020. The Australian criminal group intended to retrieve the drugs but was unable to locate them, prompting confusion and frustration. EncroChat messages revealed that the UK conspirators launched their own investigation, holding meetings attended by Sartin to determine what went wrong. The NCA worked closely with the Australian Federal Police to monitor and disrupt the operation. The collaborative effort prevented the MDMA, which would have commanded a far higher price in Australia than in the UK, from reaching the streets. Operation Venetic and Sartin’s Conviction Operation Venetic uncovered critical evidence against the group, including messages sent via EncroChat. One pivotal clue was an image sent by Danny Brown of his pet dog “Bob,” whose tag displayed a phone number, inadvertently leading investigators to his partner. Sartin, who operated under the EncroChat handles “haplessbadger” and “urbanmallet,” was previously convicted for smuggling cannabis and tobacco. His industrial unit was central to the conspiracy, serving as the site where the digger was modified and filled with drugs. Sentencing Sartin at Kingston Crown Court on December 3, NCA Branch Commander Chris Hill said: “Sartin played a vital role in this conspiracy; it was in his industrial unit that the excavator was concealed, cut open, and filled with MDMA. “Our work with partners abroad, shown here through our collaboration with the Australian Federal Police, protects the public from the dangers of Class A drugs, which destroy lives and communities here in the UK and across the world.” A Major Blow to Organised Crime This case marks the conclusion of a highly complex investigation that spanned two continents and involved multiple law enforcement agencies. Operation Venetic continues to serve as a blueprint for tackling organised crime, leveraging international partnerships and advanced investigative techniques to disrupt criminal networks. The sentencing of Sartin and his co-conspirators underscores the NCA’s commitment to dismantling drug trafficking operations and protecting communities from the devastating impact of Class A drugs. 3 December 2024