Mark Chikarovski, the son of former leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party Kerry Chikarovski, has been convicted of drug trafficking via the dark web. Using the alias “AusCokeKing,” he ran a complex operation with connections reaching Cyprus.
Specifically, he utilised the dark web platform Abacus to sell “premium European imports,” including cocaine, MDMA, and “limited edition methamphetamines.” His operation was reportedly highly profitable, with payments in cryptocurrency for thousands of transactions since 2017.
During the investigation, police uncovered that Chikarovski had conducted 18 transactions with undercover officers between February and May 2023. In May 2023, authorities arrested him at his Bondi Junction apartment, where he was found wearing blue latex gloves and packaging drugs into Australia Post envelopes. Searches of his apartment and his home in Vaucluse led to the seizure of drugs, luxury vehicles, cash, and substantial cryptocurrency holdings.
Additionally, documents obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) revealed that Chikarovski had established an offshore company, Aquay Holdings Ltd, through SFM Corporate Services, a firm specialising in offshore company creation. Aquay Holdings operated out of the UAE and Seychelles and maintained a bank account in Cyprus.
Chikarovski and his wife, Hannah, lived a lavish lifestyle with multi-million-dollar properties, including their Vaucluse home, recently sold for $10 million.
Conviction and sentence
On 6 December 2023, Chikarovski was sentenced to 35 months of intensive correction with community service, including 18 months of home detention, 500 hours of community work, and mandatory mental health monitoring. The sentence was influenced by special circumstances, such as the defence’s claims of self-harm risk.
Judge Jane Culver described his actions as “far more severe than an average street-level dealer,” citing the digital nature of his enterprise and the anonymity of the dark web. However, the defence argued that his involvement in drugs stemmed from family dysfunction and the pressures of public life.
Despite expressions of remorse, prosecutors highlighted that his luxurious lifestyle and long-standing involvement in international drug trade painted a different picture.
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