Rohan Rapyal: Pharmacist charged over massive drug supply

A pharmacist is behind bars after being charged over a massive drug haul of 70 litres of GBL, 1.7kg of ketamine, 1kg of amphetamine plus heroin and cocaine.

Police arrested Rohan Rapyal, 28, after swooping on a unit at Epping where detectives from the Redfern Region Enforcement Squad executed a crime scene warrant about 2pm last Saturday.

Mr Rapyal, who has a masters degree in pharmacy and a Bachelor of Science, and last year had been planning to open his own pharmacy, was at the unit when detectives arrived.

During their search, investigators allegedly located and seized 70L of GBL, about 1.7kg of ketamine, more than 1kg of amphetamine, 70g of heroin and about 3.5g of cocaine.

Not to be confused with the related drug GHB, GBL or Gamma Butyrolactone is a precursor drug used for improving athletic performance, sleep, and sexual performance and pleasure.

Officers also seized $9970 in cash, documentation and items allegedly consistent with the supply of prohibited drugs.

They took Mr Rapyal to Ryde Police Station on Saturday afternoon and charged him with eight counts of drug-related offences.

Police will allege in court that he was involved in the supply of prohibited drugs across the state.

Mr Rapyal was charged with three counts of supplying a large commercial quantity of prohibited drugs, one count of supplying a commercial quantity of prohibited drugs, and two of supplying an indictable quantity of prohibited drugs.

He was also charged with knowingly deal with the proceeds of crime and owner/occupier knowingly allow use as drug premises.

He was refused bail and appeared at Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday, where he was formally refused bail to reappear at Burwood Local Court in September.

Mr Rapyal made headlines last year after he was found asleep behind the wheel of his car at an intersection with Valium in his system.

Hornsby Local Court heard his dreams of owning a pharmacy had been jeopardised because of his conviction for the offence which had occurred the previous year.

An off duty police officer found Mr Rapyal asleep at the wheel of his blue Toyota Corolla on Sydney’s Upper North Shore around 5am on November 9, 2018.

The officer spotted a man sitting idle at the intersection of Lorne Ave and the Pacific Highway, Killara, through two phases of traffic light signals, before approaching the car.

In a letter of appeal to Hornsby local magistrate Bruce Williams, Mr Rapyal pleaded for leniency fearing a criminal conviction would result in a future pharmaceutical licence being refused.

However, Mr Williams said the conviction would stand as “you were found driving under the influence, with valium in your system”.

“You are concerned by the fact that it will affect a possible registration as a pharmacist,” he said.

“But there is no suggestion this would be the case. There are lawyers, doctors and others that are convicted of criminal offences and are still at the top of their professions.”

The magistrate issued Mr Rapyal a 12-month disqualification of his licence, as well as a $1000 fine for driving under the influence of a prescription drug.

A former promising schoolboy cricketer and high-achieving student at North Sydney Boys High School who excelled in maths, Mr Rapyal went on to study at Sydney University.

As part of his masters study, Mr Rapyal wrote a thesis on whether meditation can physiologically modify genes.

Detectives from the Redfern Region Enforcement Squad are continuing to investigate the alleged drug operation.

candace.sutton@news.com.au

Australia's Growing Drug Crisis

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