A father-and-son duo have been arrested in a police sting on Sydney’s northern beaches as they allegedly attempted to remove more than $16 million worth of cocaine from a generator imported from Vietnam.
The Cat-branded generator arrived at a Cromer industrial unit last month. It is alleged Keenan Mickley, 48, and Taj Mickley, 23, were so keen to access the riches they believed were inside they went straight to Bunnings to purchase an angle grinder.
Keenan Mickley, 48, is accused of attempting to import 50 kilograms of cocaine from Vietnam.
Police say they couldn’t prise it open, so returned to the hardware giant to purchase another Makita angle grinder and a dozen blades for the tool.
But once inside the generator, they encountered another hurdle – the machinery contained no drugs.
Federal police officials had allegedly removed 50 kilograms of cocaine after Border Force agents detected abnormalities last month. Police then allowed the generator to be delivered and monitored the consignment as it was transported to the northern beaches industrial complex, the AFP said in a statement.
On Monday afternoon, police were watching as Keenan, of Cromer, and Taj, from Beaumont Hills in Sydney’s north-west, allegedly attempted to “access a compartment in the generator where the drugs had been hidden”, the AFP said.
Keenan Mickley was arrested on Monday afternoon.Credit: AFP
Investigators allege the elder Mickley, who works as a mortgage broker at LJ Hooker and is a newly minted NRL player agent, had leased the industrial estate.
“Police also allegedly found evidence the man made overseas cash transfers to a known criminal facilitator, and recently travelled to Vietnam,” the AFP said.
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