#81-Year-Old Woman's Bid to Overturn Conviction for Darkweb Drug Trafficking Fails

A Melbourne woman's appeal to clear her name has been rejected.

#Background of the Case

An 81-year-old woman, Southsada Sananikone, has lost her appeal to overturn her conviction for drug trafficking. She was found guilty of trafficking illicit drugs after a jury determined she had helped her daughter, Mimi Sananikone, run a lucrative dark web drug trafficking business.

#Details of the Case

In early 2022, Sananikone mailed 396 packages on behalf of her daughter at various AusPost post offices. Police intercepted 255 of these packages, which contained illicit drugs including methamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, opium, testosterone, and heroin.

#Previous Proceedings

Sananikone claimed she had no idea she was involved in illegal activity, stating she thought she was helping her daughter with a legitimate business. She told police:

“I just thought it was legal things. You know, I – I – this is a kind of job I – I do. I work. I don’t know anything in there.”

However, Judge Robyn Harper sentenced her to three months’ jail, recognizing it as time served on remand, and a 12-month community corrections order with 50 hours of unpaid community work. Sananikone appealed her conviction to Victoria’s highest court, arguing the jury had unreasonably rejected her claim of innocence.

#Court of Appeal Decision

The Court of Appeal justices, Lesley Taylor, Rowena Orr, and Peter Kidd, found that Sananikone’s guilt was the “only reasonable inference open” based on the evidence. They stated that the high volume of parcel movements and significant cash holdings led to the conclusion that Sananikone was, at the very least, aware that the significant commercial enterprise traded in illicit substances and that she was wilfully blind to the risk that the packages contained drugs of dependence.

#Key Findings

• The jury was entitled to view Sananikone as “wilfully blind” to her daughter’s drug trafficking empire.
• The large amount of cash found at the family’s home, over $450,000, was unlikely to have come from the sale of legitimate products such as tea and fungi.
• Sananikone’s daughter, Mimi Sananikone, is serving an 18-year sentence for drug trafficking and related charges.

#Legitimate Businesses

The court was told that Mimi Sananikone ran legitimate businesses out of the home, including the sale of tea, seaweed, and fungi. Sananikone’s lawyers argued these legitimate businesses gave rise to an explanation of her actions that was consistent with innocence – that she believed she was helping her daughter with legal work.

#Police Investigation

Police arrested Sananikone and her daughter on February 23, 2023, and searched their Hughesdale home. Investigators found $461,000 in cash, including $80,000 sitting out on a coffee table, and bulk drugs and drug packaging equipment hidden around their home.

#Community Reaction

Sananikone was shamed by her local Buddhist community after being charged by police.

#Conclusion

The Court of Appeal’s decision upholds Sananikone’s original conviction, and she will have to serve her sentence. The case highlights the complexities of family involvement in illicit activities and the challenges of proving guilt in such cases.