$2.3M in two years from drugs alleged

Press, 7 April 1984, Page 16

$2.3M in two years from drugs alleged

NZPA-AAP Melbourne

A man alleged to be the Melbourne link in the “Mr Asia” syndicate, Daryl Lee Sorby, amassed assets of $2.3 million over two years from selling drugs, a Criminal Court jury has been told.

The Crown prosecutor. Mr Gordon Taylor, said that Sorby, aged 32. a property developer, of Bribie Island, Queensland, came to Australia from New Zealand with about $7OOO.

Sorby has pleaded not guilty to five counts of conspiring with others to sell heroin in Australia between April, 1978, and May, 1980.

Mr Taylor said that when Sorby arrived in Melbourne early in April, 1978, he had told a friend his financial situation “was not too healthy” and he wanted to contact friends in Sydney

who would help him. Sorby went to Sydney and about a week later returned to Melbourne “in high spirits,” Mr Taylor said. He said the Sydney friends whom Sorby approached were involved in the “Mr Asia" drug syndicate.

“From then on Sorby obtained, over a period of time, quantities of heroin which he resold,” Mr Taylor said. Sorby was not a heroin addict and had recruited several people to handle heroin sales. “The Crown said he (Sorby) was in the business of selling heroin solely for the money,” Mr Taylor said. He said the Crown disputed a claim by Sorby to the police that he had come to Australia with about $50,000. “Within six months he had

cash and assets valued at 5A170.000 ($240,000) and that includes $A69,000 to $A70,000 ($100,000) cash he paid for a house in Brighton and in September, 1980, he listed his assets at SAI.6 million ($2.3 million)," Mr Taylor said. He said that a witness would tell the jury that he had once seen 20 bags of heroin in the boot of a car driven by Sorby. The bags were well sealed and bore the symbol of red horse. “The ‘Mr Asia’ syndicate used a symbol on their heroin to guarantee good heroin and followed the Chinese symbol of the year. In 1978 it was the Year of the Horse," Mr Taylor said. The trial, before Mr Justice Anderson, is expected to last about 10 weeks with at least 80 witnesses giving evidence.

The trial is continuing.