He knew the police were closing in.
Hickling then sent a message saying “they know nothing,” and then, “we’re alright cos they’ve never seen us”, referring to the truck driver.
Andrew John Hickling was running a lucrative drugs operation from a Northam detention centre.
But then he claimed, “I think there is a leak. Someone has thrown us under the bus.”
Two of the truck drivers were later arrested and convicted, and will be sentenced for their involvement this week.
Another set of texts were unearthed between Hickling and Bryan Anthony Wells, a 54-year-old recently sentenced for his role in the syndicate.
Hickling asked him to buy a prepaid envelope from Australia Post, then wrap $40,000 of cash in some clothing and place it into the envelope, giving him an address in Granville, NSW to send it to.
But police intercepted the package.
“It was the proceeds of drug dealing,” prosecutors told the court.
Days later police raided a storage unit in Welshpool. Hidden inside a large speaker they found 4.4 kilograms of meth linked back to Hickling.
Prosecutors told the court Hickling had a “large established network of people” he sold drugs to and collected from and claim that he “boasted to others about his drug operation”.
In a text message on January 22, a month before his arrest, lawyers told the court Hickling wrote to a colleague stating “It’s cos I’m on the Queen’s property – we’re protected.” He told another that while “they” were trying to “kick [him] out of the country”, he was “pumping it” and claimed “there’s a bit of money to be made for us”.
It was the day before these messages police had already obtained a warrant to intercept his phone interactions.
By then WA Police believed Hickling had connections to the Comancheros bikie gang and in an organised raid, teamed up with Border Force officers and 80 of their own to raid Yongah Hill and place him under arrest.
He was dragged back to Hakea Prison where he has been ever since and where he will remain, with the court hearing he was in for a long term of imprisonment.
“He was on parole at the time for similar offending,” prosecutors argued.
Loading
“It demonstrates an ongoing blatant disregard for the law.”
But Hickling’s lawyer tried to argue for leniency, claiming that his client had struggled with drug use after the death of a child 10 years ago which had, for a period of around two years, placed him under suspicion over its death.
Holmes told the court his client had been labelled a “baby killer”, for which he had later been “completely exonerated”.
He also revealed Hickling had once been the victim of a motorcycle accident with doctors later suggesting it may have left him with brain damage.
Hickling will be sentenced on October 8.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
Source Agencies
