Introduction
You want to understand how organized crime and systemic corruption take root in modern society. Clive Small exposes the violent mechanics of Australian drug syndicates and police corruption from the 1970s through the 2000s. You learn how criminal networks evolved from local gangs into sophisticated international enterprises that corrupted politicians and law enforcement.
The book traces this criminal history across distinct eras of syndicates, gang wars, and drug markets. You will find answers to the following questions:
- How did the Calabrian Mafia establish industrial-scale drug operations in Australia?
- What role did systemic police corruption play in protecting major crime figures?
- How did maritime smuggling networks and street-level markets drive the heroin trade?
1. Griffith and Early Drug Syndicates
The Calabrian Mafia and international networks established industrial-scale drug operations in Australia while corrupting local politics.
The Calabrian Mafia in Griffith
Robert Aussie Bob Trimbole formed a strategic partnership with thèndrangheta to create an industrial-scale drug operation. You find this network utilizing traditional extortion networks, skilled agricultural labor, and complex financial schemes to funnel millions of dollars through local businesses and wineries.
Police and royal commissions uncovered twenty-two large-scale cannabis plantations across multiple states, heavily tied to individuals born in the Calabrian village of Plati.
Of the 12500 residents who lived in Griffith in the 1970s, almost three-fifths were Italian-born. Between 1974 and 1978, police found 22 large-scale cannabis plantations across Australia.
Anti-drugs campaigner Donald Mackay was assassinated by the Calabrian Mafia after his tip-offs led to major police raids and the seizure of large cannabis crops. When Mackay threatened thèndrangheta's drug operations by cooperating with authorities, top syndicate figures met to discuss alternatives before deciding on execution.
Donald Mackay vanished on 15 July 1977 after leaving the Griffith Hotel, leaving behind his van with blood stains, car keys, and three spent .22-calibre shell casings. Melbourne distributor Gianfranco Tizzone sold 1.5 million dollars worth of cannabis annually.
Organised crime syndicates heavily invested in political corruption, using funds and electoral support to secure protection and favors from politicians and public figures. Figures like federal immigration minister Al Grassby were cultivated by thèndrangheta through campaign funding and delivery of the migrant vote.
Bob Trimbole paid 40000 dollars to circulate a false document implicating Mackay's family. In 1988, 21 of the 81 financial members of the Belconnen ALP branch were ethnic Italians.
The Mr Asia Syndicate
The Mr Asia syndicate operated a prolific international drug trafficking ring that imported massive quantities of heroin into Australia while ruthlessly eliminating potential informants. Run initially by Marty Johnstone and Terrence Clark, the syndicate used sophisticated courier networks and false passports to move hundreds of kilograms of heroin.
Terrence Clark had courier Douglas Wilson and his wife Isabel murdered and buried in a shallow grave near Melbourne after discovering they had given police a tape-recorded account of the syndicate.
Between late 1976 and 1979, the syndicate imported 200 kilograms of heroin. Terrence Clark claimed a personal fortune of 50 million dollars.
2. Sydney Crime Figures and Smuggling
Prominent criminal figures and syndicates built massive maritime import networks and dominated illegal gambling and protection rackets.
The Big Three
Lennie McPherson, George Freeman, and Stan Smith emerged as the Big Three of Sydney organised crime. They operated a structured business model based on illegal gambling, protection rackets, and licensed club skimming.
The triumvirate established a powerful partnership that maintained internal discipline through extreme violence. They effectively transformed freelance criminal activity into a corporate-style enterprise while buying off police and politicians.
Lennie McPherson accumulated 49 entries on his criminal record. George Freeman racked up 30 convictions for firearms and theft by the late 1950s.
When the Melbourne Toe Cutter gang attempted to muscle in on Sydney's illegal casino trade, McPherson and Freeman met the challenge head on until the gang ceased to exist.
Maritime Smugglers
Former police officer Murray Riley transitioned into a major international drug smuggler. He utilized his law enforcement background and criminal alliances to finance massive maritime cannabis and heroin importations.
Riley partnered with top underground figures and used specialized travel agencies and corrupt merchant banks like Nugan Hand to launder drug money. He attempted to expand his empire into international casino acquisitions.
The Wings travel agency organized 200 itineraries in two years for criminals and drug smugglers. Criminals also stole and cashed 274700 US dollars worth of American Express travellers cheques across multiple countries.
Murray Riley and his syndicate organized the transport of four and a half tonnes of Thai cannabis via the yacht Choyro Maru and the support vessel Anoa. Federal authorities tracked the entire operation.
Richard Bruce Snapper Cornwell built one of Australia's most enduring and massive drug syndicates. He coordinated multi-tonne maritime importations of cannabis, cocaine, and heroin.
Operating closely with partner Barry Bull, Cornwell relied on offshore ship-to-shore transfers along the Australian coastline. They used sophisticated offshore accounts and international laundering networks to protect vast illegal fortunes.
Cornwell accumulated assets worth an estimated 23 million dollars, including international accounts. Plans included the importation of 120 kilograms of cocaine in a joint venture with Juan Guillermo Diez-Orozco.
Cornwell and Bull purchased two tonnes of cannabis in Thailand and successfully sailed it to Australia via New Guinea. The venture generated millions in profits before federal surveillance eventually closed in.
3. The 1980s Gang Wars and Police Corruption
Intense underworld conflicts, contract killings, and deep-seated police corruption defined the 1980s criminal landscape in Sydney and Melbourne.
Contract Killings and Violence
Chris Flannery established himself as a prominent underworld hitman known by the nickname Rent-a-Kill during the Melbourne waterfront and Sydney gang wars. Flannery engaged in contract killings and violent enforcement after moving between Melbourne and Sydney, leveraging protection from corrupt police officers to evade serious legal consequences.
Flannery travelled 1000 kilometres in two days with Williams in a hire car used for the Wilson murder. Flannery was widely believed to be responsible for the assassination of Raymond Bennett outside the Melbourne Magistrates Court and was hired by Mark Clarkson to murder lawyer Roger Wilson. Flannery had previously spent time on remand for a payroll robbery involving Raymond Bennett, costing 69000 dollars on remand.
Chris Flannery operated under the moniker Mr 'Rent-a-Kill', highlighting the availability of dedicated enforcers during Sydney's volatile criminal eras. The 1980s Sydney gang war was characterized by internal lethal conflicts among criminal factions throughout the 1980s.
Informants and Corrupt Detectives
Underworld figures attempted to bribe and subsequently murder undercover police officer Michael Drury when he refused to compromise on drug charges. Alan Williams and Chris Flannery tried to secure an acquittal for Williams by bribing Constable Michael Drury through detective Roger Rogerson. When bribery failure occurred, Alan Williams agreed to pay 100000 dollars for the hit on Drury.
On 6 June 1984, Flannery shot Michael Drury through the kitchen window of his home while Drury's children were in another room, though Drury survived the attempt.
Neddy Smith built a lucrative criminal empire in heroin distribution while operating as a police informant to protect his interests and eliminate rivals. Smith partnered with corrupt detectives like Roger Rogerson, trading actionable information on competing criminals and corrupt officers in exchange for protection, bail support, and the elimination of threats. At his peak, Smith sold 3 kilograms of heroin every ten days.
Smith betrayed his long-time criminal partner Bobby Chapman and orchestrated the setup that led to detective Roger Rogerson shooting dead Warren Lanfranchi in Dangar Place. Police later found 90000 dollars in cash in Smith's home after the Bangkok arrests. Earlier, Smith was involved in the botched Fielders Bakery robbery targeting a 16000 dollars payroll.
Disgraced detective Bill Duff, Murray Riley, and Neddy Smith attempted to utilize Pel Air to smuggle heroin directly from Thailand through Papua New Guinea, attempting to bribe law enforcement to avoid surveillance. The conspirators paid 15000 dollars to a federal police officer to warn of surveillance and offered 5000 dollars to detective John McNamara for information. Papua New Guinea police searched a Pel Air plane after tip-offs, leading to an official inquiry and political fallout for Prime Minister Michael Somare.
George Savvas utilized corrupt airline and customs connections to bypass traditional courier methods for heroin importation. Savvas used a corrupt airline employee to swap identical briefcases containing drugs in international luggage-handling areas, successfully importing large quantities without couriers. Savvas packed 20 kilograms of heroin into a briefcase in Singapore per single consignment. Savvas and Barry McCann imported over 100 kilograms of heroin in at least five consignments via international flights before internal syndicate conflict led to McCann's assassination. The syndicate brought in a total street value of 160 million dollars of heroin prior to Savvas's arrest, which eventually resulted in a sentence of 25 years in jail on drug charges.
Extensive public corruption inquiries exposed systemic police collusion with organized crime through the testimony of incarcerated felons. Incarcerated figures like Neddy Smith offered testimony to the Independent Commission Against Corruption regarding systemic police bribery and protection, though their evidence often conflated true corruption with self-serving fabrications. The ICAC public hearings resulted in 13000 pages of transcript generated by the hearings, called 147 witnesses during the inquiry, and named more than a hundred New South Wales police officers as corrupt by Neddy Smith.
4. Modern Smuggling and Cabramatta Heroin Trade
Later decades saw sophisticated cargo importations, airport vulnerabilities, and the rise of street gangs in Cabramatta as a heroin hub.
Lawrence McLean operated a massive multi-tonne cannabis importing network relying on cargo ships and established overseas suppliers. McLean utilized commercial cargo vessels owned by Martin Waldemar Jonsson to transport compressed cannabis from Southeast Asia to prearranged drop-off points off the Australian coast, where it was unloaded onto smaller vessels or driven inland.
In November 1995, Jonsson's ship Neptune Wind picked up 11 tonnes of compressed cannabis in Thailand, unloaded it near Kangaroo Island, and transported it via campervan to Melbourne and Sydney. Over 15 years, this operation brought 140 tonnes of cannabis to Australia in some 15 shipments.
Syndicates employed sophisticated methods to launder vast drug profits and transfer illicit cash overseas. Traffickers used legitimate front businesses, real estate, thoroughbred horses, and vacuum-packing machines to freeze and conceal physical cash before smuggling it out of the country via cargo vessels. Martin Jonsson used a vacuum-packing machine to heat-seal slabs of money, kept them in chained freezers at home, and loaded them onto cargo boats to deposit them in Philippine banks for Lawrence McLean.
These networks ultimately led to 9 million dollars of assets being seized from McLean, along with 5 million dollars in cash found hidden under frozen meat on the Neptune Wind.
Import Networks and Money Laundering
Corrupt airport baggage handlers and security staff provided secure entry points for smuggling cocaine past customs. Criminal syndicates established informal networks of corrupt airport insiders who used their access to secure areas to remove imported drugs from planes and pass them directly to domestic distributors.
In October 2004, the Coogee Mob used corrupt Sydney Airport baggage handlers to bypass customs and retrieve 10 kilograms of cocaine from an incoming flight's briefcase.
A small group of corrupt local detectives known as the Rat Pack oversaw systemic graft, drug rip-offs, and protection in Cabramatta and Fairfield. The corrupt detectives engaged in extorting illegal gambling dens, fabricating evidence, stealing money and drugs from dealers, and manipulating court bail conditions for informants.
In January 1990, the Rat Pack raided Victor Reljic's illegal gambling club in Canley Vale wearing balaclavas and brandishing pistols, and physically assaulted Reljic and two others. Investigations into these abuses eventually targeted 60 Fairfield detectives over the period, operating alongside clubs where Marconi Club hospitality generated an estimated 50,000 dollars in cash and 100,000 dollars in meals and alcohol.
The Rise and Fall of Cabramatta
Poverty, social isolation, and easy access to cheap heroin fostered the rise of violent Vietnamese youth street gangs in Cabramatta. Gangs like the 5T controlled street-level distribution by cutting out middlemen, selling high-quality heroin directly to users, and funding their communal lifestyles through robberies, extortion, and turf wars.
By 1997, a police intelligence assessment estimated that at least 1,000 people arrived at Cabramatta railway station before lunchtime each day to purchase heroin from up to 100 individual street dealers. This open-air heroin capital market, operating through the smack express, resulted in 60 murders and 200 shootings from street gang violence over a decade.
Phuong Ngo used legitimate community work and political connections to build a local power base before being convicted of assassinating a rival politician. Arriving as a refugee, Ngo entered local government, established the Mekong Club for gambling and money laundering, cultivated ties with major political parties, and orchestrated the murder of parliamentarian John Newman.
On September 5, 1994, John Newman was shot dead outside his Cabramatta home after vocally opposing local street gangs and Ngo's expanding political influence, leading to Ngo's eventual life sentence for murder after a petition against his bail was signed by 300 local Vietnamese community leaders.
Informants and syndicate members frequently cooperated with law enforcement and crime commissions to secure immunities, financial rewards, and reduced sentences. High-level criminals traded inside information on their partners and syndicates in exchange for indemnity from past crimes, cash payouts, and protection from lengthy prison terms.
Thomas Christopher 'Tom' Domican rolled over and began working for the New South Wales Crime Commission in late 2004, receiving indemnification for a decade of crime, 50,000 dollars a year for four years, and permission to keep 760,000 dollars in cash.
10 Key Ideas
- The Calabrian Mafia established industrial-scale drug operations in Australia while utilizing traditional extortion, complex financial schemes, and political corruption to protect their criminal enterprises.
- Anti-drugs campaigner Donald Mackay was assassinated by the Calabrian Mafia after his tip-offs led to major police raids and the seizure of large cannabis crops.
- The Mr Asia syndicate imported massive quantities of heroin into Australia while ruthlessly eliminating potential informants who cooperated with authorities.
- Prominent criminal figures like the Big Three operated a structured business model based on illegal gambling, protection rackets, and licensed club skimming while buying off police and politicians.
- Maritime smugglers like Murray Riley and Richard Bruce Cornwell utilized former law enforcement backgrounds and offshore ship-to-shore transfers to coordinate multi-tonne importations of cannabis, cocaine, and heroin.
- Underworld hitmen like Chris Flannery engaged in contract killings and violent enforcement during Sydney's volatile criminal eras while leveraging protection from corrupt police officers.
- Corrupt detectives like Roger Rogerson colluded with figures like Neddy Smith, trading actionable information, bail support, and the elimination of threats in exchange for protection and a share of drug profits.
- Lawrence McLean operated a massive multi-tonne cannabis importing network relying on commercial cargo ships and vacuum-packing machines to launder cash overseas.
- A small group of corrupt local detectives known as the Rat Pack oversaw systemic graft, drug rip-offs, and protection in Cabramatta and Fairfield while extorting illegal gambling dens.
- Poverty, social isolation, and easy access to cheap heroin fostered the rise of violent Vietnamese youth street gangs in Cabramatta that controlled street-level distribution and generated significant turf violence.