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February 20, 2026 — 5:19pm
A Mornington Peninsula couple are accused of operating a $15 million LSD drug trafficking operation by posting the substance hidden inside wedding invitations and comic books.
Melbourne Magistrates’ Court heard drugs stamped with Homer Simpson prints led police to Kamini Joseph, 44, and her partner Denis Petrovai, 35, who were allegedly operating the trafficking scheme from inside their $5500 a month Mount Martha rental home.
Detective Acting Sergeant Jay Hinsley told the court police launched an investigation in August into a suspected international drug trafficking operation using Australia Post’s express service to distribute LSD to local addresses and international dark web buyers.
Hinsley said his team discovered parcels with LSD, MDMA and cocaine featuring the Simpsons character, in June 2024, hidden inside wedding invitations.
Soon after, Hinsley said police began tracking Petrovai driving a white Toyota Kluger and visiting a roadside postbox at Altona North. Police allege drugs were concealed in gold wedding cards found in the postbox.
Further drugs were allegedly found in parcels sent in September and October, with the couple also seen visiting an Officeworks to buy a laser printer, glue and staplers. Drugs sent in September were allegedly hidden inside other wedding cards, comic books and purporting to be from a man living at a Wollert retirement home.
During a search of the pair’s home this month, Hinsley said police found a drug lab set up across two rooms, with drugs stored in a fridge that also contained dog food for the accused woman’s beloved bulldog.
A bare-foot Joseph gave evidence in her own bail application, telling the court she needed to be released because of health conditions and sobbed at her conditions in custody.
Joseph said she had a nervous system condition, diabetes and long-COVID, which she was treating with medication including cannabis oil and Ivermectin.
Police opposed bail, arguing Joseph was at risk of committing further offences or interfering with witnesses, with $600,000 of cryptocurrency in 12 accounts still unaccounted for.
Hinsley said police seized 750,000 LSD tabs, believed to be among the largest seizures of its type in Australian history. Chemicals with the ability to produce a further 600,000 LSD tabs were also found at the home, the officer said.
This, he said, was akin to trafficking 125 kilograms of heroin. The total amount of LSD seized equates to 1.5 million individual hits, with a combined worth of $15 million, police said.
The court heard police also seized a computer that had encryption software that rivalled the army, about $45,000 in cash, a $50,000 cryptocurrency wallet and $250,000 in bitcoin in Canada.
“A large commercial quantity is 3000 tabs. We’ve seized 750,000,” Hinsley said.
“My taskforce only deals with the highest-level drug trafficking and I say this is among one of the most sophisticated set-ups out of residential premises we’ve ever seen. A pack and send distribution set-up in study.”
The court heard Joseph wanted to be released to live with her mother, who believed her daughter’s partner had won the money they were living on playing roulette at Crown Casino.
Defence lawyer Thibaut Clamart said his client had only become an interest to police during the raid on her home.
He said she had no prior convictions and was cooperating with police.
“Ms Joseph has nothing to hide,” Clamart said.
Petrovai is due to face court next week. He is charged with exporting a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, trafficking a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence, possessing precursor substances, equipment and material to manufacture a drug of dependence and possessing proceeds of crime.
Joseph is charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of LSD, possessing precursor substances, equipment and material to manufacture a drug of dependence, and possessing proceeds of crime.
Magistrate Leon Fluxman granted Joseph bail with conditions including a $100,000 surety, reporting to police three times a week, living with her mother, surrendering any passports, not leaving the country, abiding by a nightly curfew and that she not use drugs or the internet.
Fluxman ordered Joseph to return to court in June.
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