MELBOURNE —
A Victorian judge has jailed Shamit Naidu, 30, for three years after the Cranbourne South man arrived at a Dandenong Drug Court appointment in a fraudulently obtained Toyota LandCruiser containing methamphetamine and cash.
Judge Gabriele Cannon of the Victorian County Court described the act as “breathtaking”, given that Naidu was already on a Drug Court treatment order for similar offences at the time of his arrest in September 2024.
Naidu pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, negligently dealing with the proceeds of crime, and resisting an emergency worker.
Police identified his NSW-registered 4WD through a circular issued earlier that day. The vehicle had false number plates and a partially obscured VIN, having been obtained through a fraudulent motor-finance scheme. While Naidu was not directly involved in the scam, the vehicle linked him to further criminal activity.
Inside, police discovered 68 grams of pure methamphetamine, valued well above the traffickable and commercial thresholds, along with $2,500 in cash, deal bags, a glass pipe, portable scales, and stolen bank cards.
Judge Cannon told the court:
“It is indeed breathtaking that you thought it appropriate to drive a car which was clearly not yours with false registration plates to a Drug Court appointment with that car containing a significant quantity of methamphetamine.”
During his arrest near a bus stop, Naidu resisted, kicking and thrashing at officers before being subdued with capsicum spray. He later told police he did not realize they were officers because he was on the phone.
The court heard Naidu migrated to Australia at age 11 and grew up amid family dysfunction, battling mental health and addiction issues. A serious motorcycle crash in 2021 led to chronic pain and escalated his meth use.
Judge Cannon accepted that Naidu had dealt drugs partly to fund his own addiction. He had reportedly remained drug-free since his arrest, spending time in rehabilitation, though his progress was cut short after being found with nicotine vapes, leading to his return to custody.
In August, his Drug Treatment Order was cancelled, and he was resentenced to 263 days in jail for earlier offences.
Judge Cannon also noted that Naidu, a permanent resident, faces possible deportation after his prison term. His three-year sentence includes a two-year non-parole period, running concurrently with his previous term.
