A gun-toting ex-NRL player dramatically arrested at a popular Sydney park has been found guilty of trying to buy bulk cocaine for a mystery drug boss known only as Peking duck.
A gun-slinging former NRL player warned an undercover cop “eyes on, we’re gunna be fully armed” as they nutted out a plot to swap nearly a tonne of cocaine for a million dollars in one of Sydney’s most famous parks.
Shocked families at Centennial Park watched on as police fired non-lethal projectiles into the windscreen of a hire van before arresting ex-Parramatta Eels player Aukuso Junior Paulo in December 2017.
The 36-year-old, his accomplice Kigi Kamuta and a third man were foot soldiers collecting the drugs for a mystery man known only by the codename Peking duck, agreed facts reveal.
In the lead up to the dramatic sting their boss had been bragging to undercover police officers that he’d been in the drug trade for more than 20 years and promised them he wasn’t “shifty.”
“Forget about me being a cop my friend … cops don’t pay for that much cargo
” Peking duck texted.
“U are working with best and safe ppl. I am honest and straight businessman.”
But the kingpin refused to meet the officers in person, instead sending his underlings Paulo and Kamuta who have since been convicted of large commercial drug supply.
“I don’t like face-to-face. That’s why I’m not in jail,” Peking duck boasted in one encrypted BlackBerry message.
His lieutenants Paulo and Kamuta posed as “Ronnie” and “John” when they met two undercover operatives in the popular eastern suburbs park days before the bust on December 13, 2017.
Police helicopters flying overhead were photographing the wired up cops who were asked to divide the drug haul into 20kg “bricks”.
When one officer asked Paulo what the “product” was he “flicked his nose” and asked for 500kg up front, followed by a 400kg delivery two days later, a listening device transcript shows.
The Crows Nest man, who pleaded guilty to possessing the two stolen and loaded handguns seized during the bust, warned the undercover officers he’d have “protection” in case they turned out to be cops.
“I know a guy just got done for 600 (kilograms of drugs) the other day … there’s no reason why this shouldn’t go smoothly,” Paulo said.
“Eyes on, we’re gunna be fully armed.”
One of the officers assured Paulo and 41-year-old Kamuta he wasn’t like young dealers who “run around like crazy” thinking they’re “gangsters.”
Terrified witnesses ducked for cover fearing for their lives days later when they heard gunshots in the park as the men were nabbed by Tactical Operations Unit officers who seized a wad of almost $650,000 in cash.
Realising his money was gone and his pawns had been thrown behind bars, Peking duck furiously messaged the undercover officer who fooled him saying: “Ur a f***ing DOG!!!”
Earlier this month a judge found Kamuta and Paulo guilty of a string of charges including participating in a criminal group and the pair will face a sentence hearing at Downing Centre District Court next year.
just another ex player being a d!@khead
A gun-slinging former NRL player warned an undercover cop “eyes on, we’re gunna be fully armed” as they nutted out a plot to swap nearly a tonne of cocaine for a million dollars in one of Sydney’s most famous parks.
Shocked families at Centennial Park watched on as police fired non-lethal projectiles into the windscreen of a hire van before arresting ex-Parramatta Eels player Aukuso Junior Paulo in December 2017.
The 36-year-old, his accomplice Kigi Kamuta and a third man were foot soldiers collecting the drugs for a mystery man known only by the codename Peking duck, agreed facts reveal.
In the lead up to the dramatic sting their boss had been bragging to undercover police officers that he’d been in the drug trade for more than 20 years and promised them he wasn’t “shifty.”
“Forget about me being a cop my friend … cops don’t pay for that much cargo
” Peking duck texted.“U are working with best and safe ppl. I am honest and straight businessman.”
But the kingpin refused to meet the officers in person, instead sending his underlings Paulo and Kamuta who have since been convicted of large commercial drug supply.
“I don’t like face-to-face. That’s why I’m not in jail,” Peking duck boasted in one encrypted BlackBerry message.
His lieutenants Paulo and Kamuta posed as “Ronnie” and “John” when they met two undercover operatives in the popular eastern suburbs park days before the bust on December 13, 2017.
Police helicopters flying overhead were photographing the wired up cops who were asked to divide the drug haul into 20kg “bricks”.
When one officer asked Paulo what the “product” was he “flicked his nose” and asked for 500kg up front, followed by a 400kg delivery two days later, a listening device transcript shows.
The Crows Nest man, who pleaded guilty to possessing the two stolen and loaded handguns seized during the bust, warned the undercover officers he’d have “protection” in case they turned out to be cops.
“I know a guy just got done for 600 (kilograms of drugs) the other day … there’s no reason why this shouldn’t go smoothly,” Paulo said.
“Eyes on, we’re gunna be fully armed.”
One of the officers assured Paulo and 41-year-old Kamuta he wasn’t like young dealers who “run around like crazy” thinking they’re “gangsters.”
Terrified witnesses ducked for cover fearing for their lives days later when they heard gunshots in the park as the men were nabbed by Tactical Operations Unit officers who seized a wad of almost $650,000 in cash.
Realising his money was gone and his pawns had been thrown behind bars, Peking duck furiously messaged the undercover officer who fooled him saying: “Ur a f***ing DOG!!!”
Earlier this month a judge found Kamuta and Paulo guilty of a string of charges including participating in a criminal group and the pair will face a sentence hearing at Downing Centre District Court next year.
just another ex player being a d!@khead
