Pubdate: Fri, 02 Mar 2001
Source: West Australian (Australia)
Copyright: 2001 West Australian Newspapers Limited
Contact:  +61 8 94823830
Website: http://www.thewest.com.au
Author: Bronwyn Peace
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)

ROMANIAN DRUG DEALER JAILED FOR 15 YEARS

A BIG player in a Romanian heroin distribution syndicate based in Perth was 
sentenced to 15 years jail yesterday over heroin worth more than $500 million.

Stelian Aconi, 35, formerly of Alexander Heights, was arrested after a 
six-month police investigation which smashed a drug ring involving 
Romanian-born Australians.

On sentencing yesterday, District Court Judge Paul Healy said Aconi tried 
to mislead him by claiming he was a low-level courier.

But Judge Healy said he was satisfied Aconi, a former Romanian refugee, was 
at the top end of the distribution chain and involved himself in 
heroin-dealing for profit.

"You are towards the top end of the heroin distribution in this State and I 
realise in your plea in mitigation you were trying to minimise your 
involvement," he said.

Aconi pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing heroin with intent to sell 
or supply after he was caught hiding heroin in bushes in Warwick and 
Dianella in July last year.

The 592.7g of heroin uncovered in the bushes had an estimated street value 
of $593,000.

Judge Healy said police surveillance officers followed Aconi on July 18 
last year to bush in Warwick, where he left four packages wrapped in silver 
duct tape containing a total of 112.5g of heroin with a purity of 43 per 
cent. Later that day, police observed Aconi entering a reserve near Light 
Street, Dianella, and found 17 packages wrapped in duct tape which amounted 
to 480.2g of heroin with a 57 per cent purity.

Outside court, Det-Sen. Const. Paul Schubert, of the organised crime squad, 
said 15 Romanian-born Australians were arrested under Operation Uncut, 
which ran for the last six months of last year and which had now ended.

Sen. Const. Schubert said $130,000 of Aconi's assets had been frozen as a 
result of his arrest.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager