Balga man jailed after caught transporting half-a-million illegal cigarettes for organised crime syndicate

A Balga man who was caught couriering more than half-a-million illegal cigarettes for an organised crime syndicate — which would have amounted to more than $800,000 in evaded taxes — will spend at least three months in jail. On March 11 last year, Senad Havich, 46, received a message to collect a consignment from a Kewdale transport company, where two large pallets were loaded into the back of his white van. Shortly after, Australian Border Force officers executed a search of the van, where they found 540,000 pre-rolled “king size” cigarettes in plain packages and handwritten notes regarding deliveries. A WhatsApp conversation was also found on Havich’s phone that revealed discussions around orders and the distribution of cigarettes. The District Court was on Thursday told the ABF found the total weight of the tobacco contained in the shipment was 486kg. The evaded excise and goods and services tax for that amount would have equated to almost $843,000. Defence lawyer Jasmyn Cafaro said Havich did not previously have a criminal record and was genuinely remorseful and felt “deep “regret and shame” over his conduct. “If I knew I was going to get into this much trouble, I wouldn’t have done it, sir,” Havich said in an exchange with Judge Bruce Goetze. Ms Cafaro explained Havich lost his job as a pest controller because of the COVID-19 pandemic in April last year and was under extreme financial pressure when he began delivering legal packages of incense and tobacco. She said Havich said it was the “worst decision of his life” to agree to pick up the illegal consignment — having only been asked 45 minutes before he attended the transport depot — in exchange for $500. The defence counsel argued Havich should be sentenced to a non-custodial sentence given his previous good character, remorse and noted he had significant health issues including severe major depression for which he had been seeking treatment. But prosecutors argued the crime was too serious, saying Havich was clearly trusted enough by the syndicate to collect such a significant amount of tobacco. Judge Goetze took into account the various mitigating factors, including his health, and that a prison term would exacerbate his mental illnesses, but agreed an immediate term was required. He jailed Havich for six months but ordered he be released on a $1000 good behaviour bond after three months.