Sharon Ropa, 37, allegedly took part in moving ecstasy from Sydney to Melbourne, selling ecstasy to dealers and laundering millions of dollars

Sharon Ropa, 37, allegedly took part in moving ecstasy from Sydney to Melbourne, selling ecstasy to dealers and laundering millions of dollars, Melbourne Magistrates Court was told today.The global operation was uncovered by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) last month and led to the seizure of 4.5 tonnes of ecstasy tablets and 24 arrests across Australia. The tablets were hidden inside tomato tins shipped from Italy to Melbourne and were estimated to be worth $440 million. The court was told Ms Ropa received significant amounts of money from trafficking drugs to dealers and moved millions of dollars obtained from ecstasy trafficking by a process known as "cuckoo smurfing". The process involves substituting legitimate overseas money transfers for drug money. Ms Ropa, of Melbourne, is charged with trafficking a commercial quantity of ecstasy and dealing with more than $7.4 million in cash being the proceeds of crime with the accused head of the syndicate, Pasquale Barbaro.
She is also charged with aiding and abetting Mr Barbaro to import a commercial quantity of cocaine between January and August this year.
Defence lawyer John Saunders said any money Ms Ropa had access to was as part of her courier role. "She was really doing Mr Barbaro's bidding," he said.
"She's delivering and receiving money from him. She's a gopher."
Magistrate Simon Garnett accepted Ms Ropa played a subsidiary role in the operation and released her on bail on a $150,000 surety.