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[Definitie:] "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance."
(Wilmore and Costill) 
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2 8 - 1 1 - 2 0 0 4 Wheel of justice spins
Elissa Hunt TONY Mokbel is a big gambler -- even by his own admission. He recently confessed he'd cleaned up in phone bets on the Melbourne Cup to the tune of $380,000 and admitted an $80,000 bet on a short-priced winner on Oaks Day. But every gambler takes risks, and some might suggest Mr Mokbel's biggest was on those he is said to have trusted. A man police allege dealt drugs for him was a well-connected figure in whom he was said to have had complete faith. But he was also a registered informer -- a supergrass -- who was secretly recording their meetings and conversations and reporting back to the drug squad's Operation Paddle. Another associate of Mr Mokbel turned on him after being arrested over the importation of 3kg of cocaine from Mexico -- earning himself a jail term a judge said would have been doubled had he not promised to give evidence. "Jeremy" admitted arranging to send the drug hidden in wax candles, using air freight company United Parcel Service. Jeremy told Australian Federal Police Mr Mokbel was putting up the money and wanted the drugs sent via UPS because he had an inside man there who would collect them before Customs could inspect it. Jeremy said he hadn't seen Mr Mokbel, a long-time associate, for about 15 years, but he'd heard he was doing well: several businesses, houses, a Ferrari and a Mercedes-Benz with a glove box stuffed with cash in $5000 bundles -- or so Jeremy said. "From what I'd heard I formed the impression that Tony's business activities were not all legal," he told police. After a chance meeting in 2000, Jeremy says they became friends again and Mr Mokbel dangled the carrot of a job. Jeremy says he was blinded by Mr Mokbel's wealth and power and jumped at the chance. "Over a short period of time I became deeply impressed by Tony's empire and trappings," he said. "He owned a lot of commercial property, businesses and houses. He ate at the best restaurants. He drove a Ferrari ... he bet up to $50 to $60,0000 on a race. "He encouraged me and became my mentor, and as a result I trusted him. "I knew I had to impress Tony in order to get close to him and become worthy of his attention." Jeremy said he thought he'd found the perfect way to do that: former world champion bodybuilder Sonny Schmidt, [ErGs] who had a contact in Mexico looking to export cocaine. "I decided to try and put Sonny and Tony together, because I wanted to get into Tony's good books and stay close to him," Jeremy told police. He says Mr Mokbel had told him he needed a "contact on the other side of the world", as he had people in England, Amsterdam and elsewhere. A deal was struck for Jeremy and Sonny to fly to Mexico. Mr Mokbel was to get a free sample to prove the Mexican connection could be trusted. It apparently arrived, and Mr Mokbel allegedly agreed to a delivery via his UPS link, despite telling Jeremy the proposed 3kg was "too small for him". Jeremy says Mr Mokbel was to pay $50,000 and Sonny was sent to Mexico. He was allegedly given strict instructions on what to write on the package, and told of the importance of immediately passing on to Mr Mokbel the numbers written on the package so that his inside man at UPS could locate it. But again, the prosecution claims, Mr Mokbel's trust was misplaced. Sonny was mysteriously unable to be contacted and failed to send the vital numbers quickly. US authorities intercepted the package in Kentucky. When it landed in the UPS warehouse on November 10, 2000, the drugs had been replaced, waiting for the inside man -- warehouse operations manager Ron Cassar -- to collect. When he did he was arrested, along with Sonny Schmidt, Jeremy and others -- but not Mr Mokbel. The drug squad wanted to keep watching him over his alleged trafficking in $2 billion worth of party drugs. He was arrested over that in August 2001. Secret recordings by the drug squad's supergrass allegedly implicated Mr Mokbel in the importation. His own words allegedly included offers to supply the drug and explanations of how he orchestrated the importation. But the supergrass -- unlike Jeremy -- has disappeared overseas and has not been called as a witness against Mr Mokbel. Mr Mokbel has pleaded not guilty to cocaine importation and is on $1 million bail, awaiting trial in the Supreme Court next year. |
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