Shepparton drug trafficking bust: lengthy sentences for two men

Yian Soon Phang, 34, pleaded guilty to trafficking a commercial quantity of methamphetamines, trafficking a large commercial quantity of 1,4-butanediol, trafficking heroin and attempting to possess drug precursor chemical hypophosphorous acid.

He also pleaded guilty to a summary charge of committing an indictable offence while on bail.

Phang and Tautala were picked up by police as part of an investigation into drug trafficking in the Shepparton area that started in September 2022.

The court heard Phang trafficked methamphetamines 37 times, with a total of 752.45 grams of mixed methamphetamines trafficked between October 2022 and October 2023.

This included a sale of 28g by Phang to Tautala on one occasion, 7g on another and 3.5g on yet another.

Phang also organised Tautala to sell 0.5g to another person on yet another occasion.

The court was also told Phang sold 29.66 litres of the drug 1,4-butanediol over several occasions between April 4 and August 4, 2023.

This included selling Tautala five litres in three different transactions.

Phang trafficked 42g of heroin in four transactions between April 7 and August 13, 2023, with the largest two being for 22g and 14g.

He also attempted to buy 100ml of precursor chemical hypophosphorous acid for $1000 on August 26, 2023.

The court heard Tautala trafficked 196.85g of methamphetamines in 48 transactions over three months.

Some of these drugs were sourced from Phang.

It also heard that in July 2023, Tautala agreed to commit an aggravated burglary for another man that was related to a methamphetamines deal gone wrong.

The initial deal was that Tautala would enter a house, bash a man there, and take 200g of methamphetamines the other man said was his.

Tautala’s cut of any drugs or cash found changed as negotiations went on, but the plan never went ahead.

In sentencing, Judge Simon Moglia said Phang had been born in Malaysia, moved to Singapore at age 17 and then moved to Australia when he was in his early 20s.

The court was told he started using methamphetamines at the age of 16, but stopped while he lived in Singapore, before resuming use in 2021 at the age of 29 to relieve stress.

Phang is married and has one child and is likely to be deported once he has served his sentence.

Judge Moglia said Phang had been put on a community corrections order for trafficking methamphetamines and 1,4-butanediol only four days before this offending started.

Tautala was born in New Zealand and migrated to Australia in 2001 at the age of seven.

Judge Moglia said he also faced the prospect of deportation after his sentence finished.

Tautala began using drugs socially at the age of 18.

When this offending occurred, he was on a community corrections order for charges including stealing a vehicle, possessing an imitation firearm, possessing a controlled weapon and drug driving.

Judge Moglia, however, noted that he attended a day drug and alcohol rehabilitation program between February and July last year, which he said boded well for his prospects of rehabilitation.

Judge Moglia said while Phang’s role in the trafficking was “not at the top of the chain” he said it was a “trusted role” and that the offending took place over 12 months.

He said he generally sold methamphetamines at about 28g at a time, but there was one sale of 250g that Judge Moglia said he accepted was “an outlier”.

He said Tautala’s trafficking role was “less high” than Phang’s but that he “still trafficked in significant amounts over a number of months”.

Judge Moglia said the gravity of the proposed aggravated burglary by Tautala “was significant”.

“It was intended to be a violent confrontation with at least one other,” Judge Moglia said.

The judge said he found Phang’s prospects of rehabilitation “guarded”, while Tautala’s were “good”.

Phang was sentenced to 13 years in prison, with a non-parole period of nine years.

The 857 days he has spent in pre-sentence detention counts as time already served.

Tautala was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison, with a non-parole period of three years and six months.

The 596 days he spent in pre-sentence detention will count as time already served.