Thursday 8 December 2011

Former NSW crime fighter Mark Standen jailed for drug importing

Mark Standen
Mark Standen has been jailed for at least 16 years for his role in drugs importation among. Picture: Nic Gibson Source: The Daily Telegraph

The man who once was one of NSW's top crime fighters is to serve a minimum 16 years in jail for attempting to import more than $100 million worth of illegal drugs.

Mark Standen, 54, was sentenced this morning in the NSW supreme court for his role in an attempt to import $120m worth of pseudoephedrine into Australia between 2007 and 08. Pseudoephedrine is used to make the drugs speed and ice.

Justice Bruce James said that Standen's role in the attempted importation 'abused his position' as the former assistant director of the NSW crime commission, and knew how much and when the drugs were supposed to arrive in the country and did so for a financial gain.

Standen was sentenced to 22 years in jail and with a non-parole period of 16 years. He will not be eligible for release until 2024.  He has been found guilty of conspiracy to import and knowingly taking part in a supply of a large quantity of commercial drugs. During his time involved in the drug smuggling plot Standen was the assistant director of the NSW Crime Commission, one of the state's most elite crime fighting organisations.tanden had been found guilty of being one of the chief conspirators in a plan to bring in at least 300kg of pseudoephedrine in a rice shipment from Pakistan.

The former police officer, who had been heavily involved in operations against drug importation, worked with English criminal turned informer James Kinch and Sydney food importer Bakhos Jalalaty. Mr Jalalaty was sentenced last year to a minimum six years for his role in the conspiracy, while Ketch is currently currently in a Bangkok jail waiting trial on drug importation charges.

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