A Canberra builder tried to conceal his cousin's "disorganised" cocaine trafficking enterprise by getting his younger brother to do "some of the dirty work", a court has heard.
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Youssef Jabal, 35, fronted the ACT Supreme Court on Thursday, having previously pleaded guilty to being knowingly concerned with the trafficking of a controlled drug.
The court heard Jabal had "limited" involvement in his cousin Bilal Badr-Eddeen Omari's "relatively small but nonetheless active" trafficking operation, after he received a "panicked" phone call from Omari's girlfriend on December 5, 2017.
Prosecutor Tom Jones said Omari was getting raided at his former workplace, the Australian National University, when his girlfriend told Jabal police were minutes away from searching a Jeep Cherokee.
The woman told Jabal: "Break it Youssef. Something. Like, he's got everything in his car." Omari later told Jabal to smash the Jeep's window because there was "a bag in the back".
Jabal told his younger brother, Adam, to smash the back window of the Jeep. Police approached the car soon after and found an unattended plastic sandwich bag containing about 32 grams of cocaine, along with a cutting agent, digital scales, and more than $15,000.
Jabal later told his brother to wash the jumper he was wearing when he smashed the Jeep's window.
Mr Jones said officers' findings at the car were "typical" of an active supply operation.
"[The cocaine found in the car] is five times in excess of the traffickable quantity," he told the court.
Mr Jones said Jabal used his authority over his younger brother to try to distance himself from the "pointy end" of the police investigation, in the interest of self-preservation.
Jabal's defence lawyer, Kamy Saeedi, said Jabal was merely trying to conceal the cocaine for Omari after his girlfriend called him "in a panic". He said Jabal did not possess the cocaine, but had a blasé attitude towards drugs when he committed the offence.
"This is essentially an accessory after the fact in a very stupid, disorganised situation," Mr Saeedi told the court on Thursday.
"He tried to calm the situation down and help out his cousin.
"We accept that he engaged the use of his brother to do some of the dirty work."
Jabal has also been charged with two counts of drug possession from December 2017.
Justice Chrissa Loukas-Karlsson ordered that Jabal be assessed on his suitability for an intensive corrections order ahead of his sentencing later this year.
Cassandra Morgan
It has never been more important for Canberrans to be able to access reliable and accurate information about health. As The Canberra Times’ health reporter, I am committed to ensuring our readers have access to this. I, like many in the territory, have family members who work in the sector. Although providing comprehensive coverage on the coronavirus pandemic is obviously my number one priority, I aim to frequently shed light on the fantastic work our frontline professionals do, as well as the challenges they face. Email me tips and story ideas at: c.morgan@canberratimes.com.au.
It has never been more important for Canberrans to be able to access reliable and accurate information about health. As The Canberra Times’ health reporter, I am committed to ensuring our readers have access to this. I, like many in the territory, have family members who work in the sector. Although providing comprehensive coverage on the coronavirus pandemic is obviously my number one priority, I aim to frequently shed light on the fantastic work our frontline professionals do, as well as the challenges they face. Email me tips and story ideas at: c.morgan@canberratimes.com.au.
