#Bella Vista Man Sentenced for Dark Web Drug Operation

A 27-year-old man from Bella Vista, Mayuran Devakumar, has been sentenced to community service for his role in a dark web drug operation. Devakumar was part of a syndicate that used chicken and fish curry boxes to conceal methamphetamine and sell it online in exchange for cryptocurrency.

#The Operation

The operation, which ran from October 2023 to April 2024, involved Devakumar receiving orders, sourcing and preparing drugs, packaging them for distribution, and frequently driving others to drop off packages in post boxes. Undercover police bought drugs from the syndicate nearly a dozen times, using more than $9,000 in cryptocurrency.

#Devakumar's Role

Devakumar's role in the syndicate was significant, and he had aspirations to be part of an international drug ring. In fact, he told his family that they were "stupid" if they thought he was going to have a conventional job. According to court documents, Devakumar said "my dad wanted me to be a 9 to 5 nigger," and that he had beaten that out of his mum and dad at 18 years old. He stated,

I like, nigger I ain't doing shit. Like I ain't going to work a 9 to 5 job, you're stupid if you think that.

#Arrest and Sentencing

The syndicate's operation came to a dramatic end in April 2024 when cybercrime squad detectives arrested Devakumar, along with Harpreet Flora and Mathurshan Sangarathasan, at Francesco Drive in Bella Vista. The trio were found in Devakumar's father's BMW.

Devakumar pleaded guilty to supplying drugs and was sentenced on Friday at Sydney District Court. Judge Christine Mendes sentenced him to an intensive correction order of two years and seven months, and ordered him to perform 300 hours of community service work. He must also see a psychologist for counselling.

#Sentence and Charges

The sentence, which was discounted by 25% due to the guilty plea, will expire on September 26, 2028. Devakumar is the third and final member of the trio to be sentenced over the online black market scheme.

#Details of the Operation

According to court documents, Devakumar's family was disappointed in his actions, and Flora described him as "one of the smartest" members of the syndicate. Despite this, Devakumar refused to retire from the drug trade, and police-intercepted phone calls revealed his ambitions to have an international drug syndicate. In one conversation, Devakumar was recorded telling Flora that he gave "ice to corporate cunts" and also bashed someone who had "fucked around with the money". Flora urged Devakumar to retire from drugs, but he refused and later discussed ambitions to have an international drug syndicate.

#Charges and Investigation

The operation involved Flora and Sangarathasan supplying 2kg of methamphetamine and cocaine at Girraween and Seven Hills in exchange for cryptocurrency. The drugs were concealed in empty fish and chicken curry boxes and posted to customers.

Detectives arrested the three men on Francesco Drive at Bella Vista and searched three homes at Toongabbie, Bella Vista, and Glenwood. The investigation was part of Strike Force Cyans, a cybercrime squad operation.