Episode 3: Heavy Hitters

Summary

Cool Mules | Canadaland Investigates

Episode 3: Heavy Hitters

Release Date: June 19, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode 3 of Cool Mules, hosted by Kasha Mihailovic, Canadaland delves deeper into the intricate web spun by Slava Pastakov, a former Vice editor, who orchestrated a cocaine smuggling operation involving young journalists. This episode, titled "Heavy Hitters," uncovers the recruitment tactics, the profiles of the individuals involved, and the subsequent legal repercussions that ensued.

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Slava Pastakov: The Architect of the Scheme

Slava Pastakov emerges as a central figure whose charisma and deceptive promises lured unsuspecting young professionals into a dangerous drug smuggling escapade. Kasha introduces Slava through testimonials from those who knew him:

[02:05] Kasha Mihailovic: "This is a Toronto musician who knew Slava Pastakov when he was Vice's music editor. She's playing out a thought that many people I've spoken to have had about Slava."

Friends and colleagues describe Slava as charming yet not the brightest individual:

[02:37] Aidan Havas: "Bit of an idiot, but like, he... was funny, he was charming, the music guy. He wasn't the smartest guy in the room, but perfectly pleasant."

Slava's dual nature becomes apparent as Kasha reflects on his transformation from a seemingly benign personality to someone orchestrating a high-stakes criminal operation.

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The Recruitment Process

Slava's recruitment strategy hinged on exploiting the vulnerabilities and aspirations of young individuals within creative industries. He promised lucrative deals and media exposure, presenting drug smuggling as an easy path to financial and professional success. The episode details how Slava's initial successful smuggling attempt in Australia became the blueprint for recruiting others.

[06:24] Kasha Mihailovic: "All he figured he had to do to make it in the media business and score his own TV show was connect with a crew of international drug runners... and then tell the entire story as killer content for his employer, Vice Media."

Slava's promise of $20,000 per successful smuggling operation attracted individuals who lacked financial stability or career clout, making them susceptible to his manipulations.

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Profiles of the Recruited Individuals

1. Jordan Gardner

   A promising Toronto DJ with a bright future ahead, Jordan's involvement was a result of Slava leveraging past personal connections. Despite a supportive background, Jordan grappled with unresolved mental health issues stemming from childhood trauma and the traumatic experience of witnessing his brother's suicide.

   [11:08] Kasha Mihailovic: "According to a Dunn, Jordan doesn't fit the profile of a drug mule. He comes from a good family, he wasn't desperate for money and he had a promising career."

   Jordan's lawyer, Aidan Havas, emphasizes the impact of these mental health issues on Jordan's decision-making process:

   [11:44] Aidan Havas: "At the time, Jordan's mental health wasn't that great... there were a bunch of mental health issues that weren't resolved and bad decisions were made."

2. Nate Carty

   A 21-year-old graphic design student from Queens with aspirations in modeling, Nate's initial hesitation was overcome by Slava's persistent recruitment tactics. Nate's subsequent entanglement in the scheme revealed the psychological pressure exerted on him.

   [12:00] Aidan Havas: "You were the conduit between them and the cartel. I have no, absolutely no love for that guy."

   Nate's vulnerability was further exploited when threats were made against him, compelling him to continue participating despite his reluctance.

3. Robert Wang

   As a Vice sales intern, Robert sought to climb the ranks within the music industry. Slava capitalized on Robert's professional ambitions, offering connections and exposure in exchange for his involvement in the smuggling operation. Robert’s increasing coercion is highlighted through secret recordings and testimonies.

   [26:22] Kasha Mihailovic: "Slava knew just the guy for the job now that the money was right."

4. Portia Wade

   The only female participant, Portia was a 19-year-old aspiring model with a tumultuous personal life. Her involvement was characterized by manipulation from her boyfriend and a lack of awareness about the true nature of the operation. Portia's psychological state rendered her particularly vulnerable to exploitation.

   [34:12] Kasha Mihailovic: "Portia was a teenager who taught Sunday school, who later told the court that she was dragged into this by a bad boyfriend who manipulated her."

5. Kutiba Senussi

   The least understood member, Kutiba was connected through Michael Ford. His involvement was marked by threats that solidified his participation despite initial reservations.

   [38:39] Nate Carty: "Trey reminded me that one time one person tried to back out and they were tied to a chair and there were razor blades put under their fingernails."

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Mechanisms of Control and Coercion

Slava employed a combination of financial incentives and psychological threats to maintain control over the recruits. When individuals attempted to back out, threats of violence and extortion were used to ensure compliance. This coercive environment left the young individuals with little option but to continue participating in the dangerous operations.

[25:29] Nate Carty: "I think Nate may have gotten some calls from Tweedledee or Tweedledum. That kind of spooks him."

Legal representatives argue that Slava's manipulation left his recruits devoid of meaningful choice, further highlighting the exploitative nature of his scheme.

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Legal Repercussions and Court Proceedings

The episode sheds light on the legal battles ensuing from Slava's actions. Two of the five individuals remain incarcerated, while others have been released. The court documents reveal the extent of Slava's involvement and the systemic failures that allowed such operations to flourish within professional settings like Vice.

[34:34] Kasha Mihailovic: "The judge who later presided over her case said she was not convinced that throughout all of this, Portia really knew what she was doing."

Psychological assessments presented in court underscore the mental instability and susceptibility of the recruits, offering insight into how Slava exploited their vulnerabilities.

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Conclusion: Humanizing the Culprits

Despite the gravity of their actions, the episode emphasizes the human aspects of those involved, portraying them as victims of manipulation rather than mere criminals. Slava's portrayal oscillates between incompetence and malevolence, inviting listeners to ponder the complexities of intent and culpability.

[03:17] Kasha Mihailovic: "He is a human being, not some monster."

The narrative challenges listeners to consider the thin line between being duped by circumstance and possessing inherent malice, culminating in a nuanced exploration of criminal responsibility.

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Final Thoughts

"Heavy Hitters" serves as a compelling examination of how ambition and vulnerability can intersect with criminal enterprise, leading to dire consequences. Through meticulous research and poignant storytelling, Canadaland's Cool Mules offers a sobering look into the lives disrupted by Slava Pastakov's audacious smuggling operation.

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For more detailed investigations and to support ongoing reporting, visit coolmules.ca/join.

Transcript

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[Kasha Mihailovic]

Please be aware that this episode mentions suicide and childhood trauma.

[Slava Pastakov]

Yeah, the part of me is like, you know, he was a, he was a writer for Vice and he covered rap music and it was like you're just an idiot who's way in over your head living out some fantasy. Like drug smuggling fantasy. And like you, I don't know.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

This is a Toronto musician who knew Slava Pastakov when he was Vice's music editor. She asked that we not use her name. She's playing out a thought that many people I've spoken to have had about Slava. I've had it myself because once you've met him, you can't help but think of Hanlon's razor. One should never ascribe to malice anything that can be easier explained by stupidity. Remember how his former Vice coworker Justin Ling described him?

[Aidan Havas]

Bit of an idiot, but like, he.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

Was funny, he was charming, he was the music guy. He wasn't Never the smartest guy in the room, but perfectly pleasant. Other people told me something Similar, funny and charming, maybe not so bright. Slava is very comfortable with people thinking of him that way. I interviewed him once on the courthouse steps after a feature article about him was published. He was pleased with how he came across in it.

[Nate Carty]

I think this paints me as like a bumbling suburban bro who got too caught up in the whites lifestyle and did some stupid shit.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

And that's accurate?

[Nate Carty]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

That is one way of characterizing Slava. And it's not wrong. Getting to know him a bit as I have, seeing how he is with his mom, watching it slowly dawn on him that he is going to jail for a long time and then noticing him try to hide how scared he is about that, you can't help but feel something for him. He is a human being, not some monster. But here's a word I heard about him quite a bit like.

[Slava Pastakov]

And the fact that he then went on to like recruit people and like involve them in something like so serious is like sociopathic.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

Is Slava just a doofus who got in over his head or is he maybe evil? To figure that out, you have to look at what Slava did, not what he says. And he didn't do it alone. There's also the five people that Slava sent to Australia and who ended up in prison after $20 million of cocaine raised was found hidden in their luggage. We've heard from Slava why he did the trip to make money and get a big vice story. But how did he convince them to do it? And who are they anyhow? That's what we're going to find out today. You won't hear from those five people themselves on this podcast. Two of them are still in prison and the Corrective Services of New South Wales doesn't allow journalists to interview inmates. Three of the five kids who were convicted are now out and back home. I've sent them emails and DMs and been in touch with people who know them to ask for interviews. One of their lawyers agreed to be interviewed, but otherwise people either haven't answered or declined to talk to me. Some of them said they're scared to. So what I'm going to tell you today is pieced together from a mix of Australian and Canadian court records and from an investigation by Canadian police. It's built on evidence, including dozens of text messages from phones that belong to Slava, his alleged co conspirator Ali Taki Lalji, and the smugglers themselves. Today's account also relies on secret recordings which later became the evidence that did Slava in. There are also interview transcripts, psychological assessments, and the findings of two judges deciding the fates of people from opposite sides of the world. I'm Kasha Mihailovic. This is cool Mules.

[Slava Pastakov]

It's completely bizarre. Like, such an insane situation. And, like, I get reminders every now and then about Jordan. Like, he's a little bit nerdy and sweet and probably the last person you would expect to be, like, involved in something like that. Things just didn't add up. There had to be something else at play.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

Earlier on the show, you heard Slava Pasakov lay out his plan. All he figured he had to do to make it in the media business and score his own TV show was connect with a crew of international drug runners, pick up suitcases from a Mexican guy in Las Vegas, fly to Australia with his friend who is also his drug dealer, hand the luggage off to another contact, fly home to Toronto, get paid $20,000, and then tell the entire story as killer content for his employer, Vice Media. Miraculously, he actually accomplished most of that. It all went off without a hitch. Until he got to the last part. Slava never pitched his story to his colleagues at Vice. Instead, upon his safe return, he began relentlessly recruiting others to go on the same trip he had taken. According to Slava, his motive for doing so was benign.

[Nate Carty]

I was back, and I couldn't keep my big mouth shut about it, he says.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

He wasn't preying on people. He was just bragging to them about the awesome experience he had. And when others got excited about it and said they wanted in too, well, sure, he hooked them up.

[Nate Carty]

They volunteered themselves, and I told them where to go if they wanted to pursue that further. I told them who to call, and I told them who to get in touch with.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

And for his efforts, sure, Slava planned to skim a cut of their fees for himself.

[Nate Carty]

Sometimes the money will be a little bit less. Like I said, maybe there will be 18,000 instead of 20,000.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

A little bit less or a lot less. Different kids who took the trip later reported that they'd been promised a wide range of different dollar amounts. If true, this meant that Slava was set to take a much bigger cut than what he told us. He failed to entice two former Vice employees who went on the record with us about being propositioned to take the trip. Tyneira Yelland remembers Slava promising her that if she first proved herself by taking a couple of trips, she too could one day make money by convincing others to mule drugs.

[Tyneira Yelland]

Oh, yeah. So when he was telling me about this, Opportunity. He was also telling me, like, if you do this a couple times and then whoever he was working for, I have no idea, but like, if you do this a couple times and they know that they can trust you or whatever, then you can start to refer people and then they get paid whatever X amount and you get paid this much, or you can tell them that they get paid less and then pocket the difference. Basically sounded like a multi level marketing scheme, but for drug trafficking. And so I assume that's why he wanted me to do it, because he would get the referral money.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

Tyneira, like her colleague at the time, Jake Kivansch, just said no, but other young people in Vice's orbit said yes. If this were a heist movie, this would be the part where we meet each member of the crew and learn what special skill they brought to the caper. The safecracker, the demolition expert, the escape artist, and so on. But in this scheme, each member was recruited not for the abilities they brought to the operation, but for what they lacked. Maybe it was money and job security, maybe common sense or cunning, or maybe it was something else. They lacked bankable status in the worlds they aspired to. Cultural capital, legitimacy, clout. The first one of those people I'm going to tell you about is Jordan Gardner. In 2015, Jordan was Slava Pastakov's roommate and a rising DJ, written up favorably by Vice a year earlier for the quote, smooth, soulful touches of house music he brought to his music project, Ebony. I've spoken to a number of people who knew Jordan, and as far as I can tell, everybody in his community kind of loved him. They'd rather not get involved publicly at this point and go on the record to say so, but still, they loved him.

[Aidan Havas]

I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with Jordan and he seems like. Like a good kid.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

This is Aidan Havas, Jordan's lawyer. He's American, but he lives in Sydney.

[Aidan Havas]

I've represented a number of importers throughout my 10 years of practice, and most of them don't have family that are as supportive as Jordan's family. So it was quite a shock to see a kid with such promise throw his life away.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

According to a Dunn, Jordan doesn't fit the profile of a drug mule. He comes from a good family, he wasn't desperate for money and he had a promising career.

[Aidan Havas]

Usually the people that partake in these sorts of ventures are people who need the money so bad that they're willing to take the risk. And you have to keep in mind Gordon's Mental health at the time wasn't that great. He witnessed his brother commit suicide, and off the back of that, there was a bunch of mental health issues that weren't resolved and bad decisions were made.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

A don is representing what Jordan told him and what they told the Australian court when he tells us that it was Slava who put him up to it. It was Slava who coerced and pressured Jordan, which Edan says led to outright threats. Edan has some choice words for Slava.

[Aidan Havas]

When they wanted to pull out, you were the one telling them that they knew where their family lived. The only way they knew where their family lived is through you. You were the conduit between them and the cartel. I have no, absolutely no love for that guy. Okay? Because that's the guy that was telling the cartel who, what, where, when, and why. And if it wasn't him, he was a conduit to the person who was.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

Slava denies ever threatening anyone himself and rejects the narrative that he preyed on his helpless young roommate.

[Nate Carty]

If he wants to blame me in terms of he never would have heard about this if it wasn't for me, that's probably valid. But I never held a gun at anyone's head and made them do anything they didn't want to do.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

First off, he points out, the two are the same age, both 25 at the time, their birthdays about a week apart. And at first, Slava says, they both tried to find others to do the smuggling.

[Nate Carty]

I told my roommate about this because he had already known about the trips. He was trying to actively recruit people, too, but he said he didn't want to go because he thought that $10,000 wasn't enough, and that would be the split.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

That problem got solved because of Nate Carty. At the time, Nate was 21 years old, born and raised in Queens and living in New York. He was studying graphic design at Kingsborough Community College. His dad is a retired forklift driver, and his mom was a bookkeeper who had just been laid off. And he had a promising modeling career. His Instagram at the time was filled with photos of him on various runways at New York Fashion Week, at editorial fashion shoots, Nate showing off his abs, Nate at industry events. According to newspaper reports, he had done campaigns for big brands like Coca Cola and Puma. But there was another side to Nate's life. According to a psychological assessment submitted to the Australian court, Nate once attempted suicide and had ongoing mental health problems. Nate told police he first met Slaba through Isaiah Cargill, better known as Plug Pope. The Toronto Party promoter who spoke, Slava says, was also a drug dealer and his traveling companion when the two made their own trip to Australia. Nate says that he even crashed on Slava's couch when he was visiting Toronto with his friend Kyle Nelson, the teenage model and rapper known as Kay Saatchi. Later, Slava visited them. He was in New York in early December of 2015, shortly after his own Australia trip.

[Nate Carty]

I met with them because we went to go get a drink and one of them, one of them was really gung ho about the idea of going. Like they had heard from the drug dealer that this trip was super easy to take, that it was easy money. So they both asked me if I would be able to introduce them to the party.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

Nate said that during their night of partying and drinking, the topic of Australia came up. He said he'd always wanted to go, and Slava told him, I can make that happen.

[Jesse Brown]

Greetings, my fellow Americans. I'm just joking. I'm not an American. I'm the editor and publisher of Canadaland. My name is Jesse Brown and I don't even know if we're friends anymore. I'm told that we're in some sort of a war, a trade war with Americans. But you just listened to one of our podcasts to the Copernic Affair. Thank you for listening to our stuff. I'm going to try to do something very difficult here year. I'm going to try to convince Americans to support a Canadian podcast company during a trade war. And I think I'm going to do that. I think I'm going to accomplish that. If you listen to this message, I think you're going to want to support Canadaland. Who are we even? We are the first podcast company in Canada. We've been doing this for 12 years and we do investigations, long form, deep dive, journalistic investigations like the one you're listening to now. This story of Hassan Diab, this story, the Kopernik Affair. Dana and Alex pitched it to a bunch of American podcast companies and international podcast companies. But the industry is not looking for deep dive investigations right now. They are expensive, they are difficult, and they were turned down by people who loved the story but didn't have the budgets for it. Canadaland supported them for this 18 month investigation. We've been doing it again and again. This is how we made our reputation. We began over a decade ago by doing what you would call a MeToo investigation of a very famous sexual predator here in Canada, a guy named Jean Ghomeshi. We did that story before, years before the MeToo movement happened. We did that here, and we're threatened with a lawsuit for it. We've been threatened with lawsuits again and again and again. Jordan Peterson threatened us with a lawsuit. Hollywood director Bryan Singer threatened us with a lawsuit. I have been surveyed by people who we reported on. My family has been under surveillance. A Republican combat PR firm was enlisted to discredit us. And nevertheless, we persist. And we have never been successfully sued for libel or defamation because we care about getting it right. And we take these risks to bring you stories that nobody else is looking at. We take on really big stories and we take on really big and powerful people. And the only way we are able to do that is because our listeners support us. But we have never asked American listeners to support us before because we're called Canadaland. And the idea that Americans would support a Canadian podcast company, to a lot of people, I've been told, is just a joke. They won't do it. I don't think that's true. Our stories are not just for Canadians. The majority of people who listen to the Kopernick affairs are American. We are going to be publishing more investigations on this feed on Canadaland Investigates. And by becoming a supporter, you are funding those investigations. And we will give you all the things. We'll give you ad free podcasts, and you'll get to hear it before everybody else, and you'll get bonus content. You'll actually be paying for Dana and Alex to keep reporting on what happens next to Hassan Diab, because this story is not over. It's $3.99 a month. We want it to be like a coffee to support Canadaland. We want it to be like, set it and forget it. You're never gonna regret the price of a coffee to fund this scrappy team of, like, 15 journalists who want nothing but to tell you an amazing story that would otherwise never be told. I will level with you. It is just a surprise to us that you're even here. We're Canada land. We never thought we'd have 100,000 regular American listeners. We are so proud to have you, but we need you to support us the same way we ask our Canadian listeners to support us. And unlike the Canadian listeners, we don't really make much ad money off of our American listeners because we sell mostly Canadian ads. We kind of need this to work. So to get the ball rolling, we have a special offer for the first hundred American listeners to come to canadaland.com investigates and sign up for a year's worth of support. And there's a big discount on that as well. We will ship to you, to your home in America, tariffs be damned. A free Canadaland T shirt. Wear it proudly and defiantly. And by the way, though we give our supporters every perk we can imagine, our podcasts are free. We do not pay all this content. So what you're really paying for when you support us is you're paying for everybody else to get this stuff. And that's how journalism has impacted, because it has reach. We're hoping that just some of you will Support us for $3.99 a month at canadaland.com investigates. Please go do it right now. And thank you.

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[Kasha Mihailovic]

The next day, according to Canadian court documents, Slava texted Nate, do you really want to go to Australia for free? And Nate answered, hell yeah. Once Nate expressed interest, Slava says, he made a call and passed the word up the chain that he had found another courier. Slava encouraged Nate to find a girl to go with him, but Nate had trouble finding one. Try harder, bro. Slava texted, don't tell her about the work. And Nate replied, of course not. To spell this out a bit, what Slava was proposing was that Nate enlist a young woman to go with him, promising her a free trip to Australia and keeping her in the dark about the fact that once on that trip, she would be used to move commercial quantities of drugs across an international border. When Nate couldn't find a female companion, he suggested ksachi. At first, Slava said KSACHI was too young, but then softened that standard, saying, send me his passport anyway. Nate had already sent it, he said, not to Slava, but directly to one of the higher ups in the conspiracy, who Slava calls Tweedledee. Sacchi has since become somewhat famous with his face on a Billboard campaign for YouTube music. Here's a bit of a Ksachi song called Gin and Tonic. Take some of this.

[Aidan Havas]

What's this?

[Kasha Mihailovic]

Now I'm geeked up. Now I'm geeked up. He was asked about this incident by reporter Kate Nibs and denied ever being interested in the scheme. There's nothing cool about it, he said. It just makes me look lame. According to both Slava and Nate, Tweedledee flew to New York and personally reimbursed Nate for the plane tickets. Paying with Canadian cash from a duffel bag, Slava promised Nate and Keisachi $3,400 each once the trip was done. Another thing Slava offered Nate was a visit to Vice's Australia office. Nate said, sure, but then Keisachi wanted out. This meant trouble for Slava, he says, because as soon as he had passed along Nate and Keisachi's names to Tweedledum and Tweedledee, Slava was committed, too.

[Nate Carty]

So I was on the hook for this other trip that I didn't even want them to take, but now I'm the main point of contact for them. So this is on my shoulders now, too. So it was just a series. It was just terrible.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

Slava called up the Tweedles, and through some process of Reasoning I do not pretend to comprehend. It was decided that KSACHI could back out, but Nate couldn't. Regardless, Slava was now responsible for finding someone else to replace K. Sachi and accompany Nate. And that's where the threat started. In a later police interview, Nate said that he had a tense phone call with Slava. After he hung up, his phone rang again. It was someone different. This person recited Nate's name, his home address, and then, according to Nate, he said, he will come after me, my family. Nate just wanted out. He says he offered to pay the anonymous caller money out of his own pocket to get out of having to go on the trip. But the caller wouldn't have it. He had to go. Slivel claims he had nothing to do with this threatening call.

[Nate Carty]

I think Nate may have gotten some calls from Tweedledee or Tweedledum. That kind of spooks him. And he. He was really scared and just willing to do anything to save himself and his friend.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

Turning up the pressure, Slava told Nate that he was also now on the hook for the money lost on Kesachi's airfare.

[Nate Carty]

No, Nate owed me money for doing this, and he fully was aware of that somehow.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

Nate was now in debt to the drug runners who are supposed to pay him. The only way he was allowed to earn his way out of the hole was to go through with the job again. At this point, Nate didn't even want to get paid. He just wanted to get it over with and get out of this situation. And Slava says that since Nate couldn't find anyone to replace Keisachi, he offered to forfeit his $3,400 entirely, which might free up enough money for Slava to be able to entice someone else.

[Nate Carty]

So Nate said he would give up his share to whoever it is that went with him.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

Slava knew just the guy for the job now that the money was right.

[Nate Carty]

Because that was Jordan's biggest hang up about. It was like it wasn't enough money. When it became an option for him to take all of it, he jumped at that.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

Toronto techno DJ Jordan Gardner and New York model Nate Carty. That was one pair. Robert Wang was half of another. He started at Vice in the summer as an intern in the ad sales department. Robert's internship put him in the same office as Vice's tastemaking music site Noisy and its editor, Slava Pastakov. This is what he said to Police. I was trying to get into the music industry. You know, the artists I was working with, they weren't really big or Anything yet? Just trying to find a way to get them press, get coverage, get a foot in the door in the music industry. And that's how, I guess I started, you know, trying to develop a friendship with him. Robert made a point of befriending Slava.

[Nate Carty]

Yeah, I mean, listen, Rob's first day as a sales intern, he made sure to go and introduce himself to me. And Rob ultimately got us an interview with Ram Riddles, who is like the rapper that Drake stole a song from. Borrowed. Drake was influenced by that artist. And when Drake's version of the song came out and I wanted to talk to the originator, Rob was like, I can make that happen for you.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

Ram Riddles is a Toronto rapper briefly in demand after Drake covered his obscene novelty song Sweeter Man. You know, she follow me on that.

[Fizz Mobile Representative]

Insta G she won my Insta D Then she swallowed me she can handle me She's a screamer she can handle my wiener.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

During a chat with Robert about music promotion, Slava found a way to steer the conversation to the exciting trip he had just made to Australia. He told Robert that someone else paid for it and that he had actually been paid to take it. All he had to do was bring some things with him. He said if Robert was interested, he could arrange the same trip for him and a friend. He asked Robert to send him a scan of his passport. The next day, Slava texted Robert. Let me know about that passport, by the way. Robert replied that he wanted to know more first. Two days later, Slava texted Robert again. Any passport pics? He asked. That's when Robert gave him a polite but firm no. Sorry, bro. He texted. Thought about it a lot, just not a step that makes sense for me at the moment. Appreciate you letting me know about the opportunity still, I'll keep it private. Hope we can still do business in the future. But Slava wouldn't take no for an answer. Robert got a text from Slava's friend, business partner, and alleged co conspirator Ali Taki. Lalji Saba told me you guys talked about Ali wrote, but I think I have an opportunity to sweeten this deal for you. They spoke on the phone. Whatever Ali said to Robert on that call, it worked. Robert texted Ali shortly after. You just made my day, fam here. I'll mention again that none of the allegations against Ali have been proven in court, and Ali's lawyer has told us that he's maintaining his innocence and will present his defense at trial. Later, in an interview with the police, Robert said that on their phone call. Ali threatened him not to back out of the trip because the people behind it were heavy hitters. That's the term Ali used, says Robert. Heavy hitters. Robert also says that he was assured by Ali that if he did take the trip, Slava would help his career in the music business once he got back. At that point, Robert tells the police, I just said, okay, fuck it.

[Josie Santee]

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[Kasha Mihailovic]

It'S not the only time Robert was threatened, and the next time there was proof. Robert went to Slava's apartment to go over details of the coming trip. What Slava and Ali didn't know was that Robert Wang was secretly recording the whole thing. Robert took the precaution of taping two encounters with Slava. The recordings themselves have never been released, but I've obtained written transcripts of them. They have a lot of missing parts marked indiscernible and other parts where everyone is talking at once and then beyond that, it's hard to know just how things were said, which words were emphasized, and that can often change the meaning of things. But many parts are quite clear. Like the point in the first meeting when Robert seemed to get spooked and Slava said, I'm not on the hook for this trip. And Robert answered, what do you mean on the hook? Like, what if I don't do it? Then Ali says, yeah, you can't do that. And Slava added, yeah, it's like a cartel. You work with cartels? Pretty much. But then Robert said, bro I don't wanna. Then everyone was talking over each other again and Slava said something kind of confusing about who exactly would break his kneecaps if he doesn't go on the trip. But the point was made. Kneecaps would be broken. Robert tried to back out. Allie said, it's already booked. Robert said, yeah, that wasn't my fault. And then, after a few garbled sentences, the recording ends. The story then picks up through more text messages entered into evidence at Slava's sentencing. Robert was told to find a girl to go with him to Australia, but he couldn't find one. So Slava made it happen through a friend and hyped the arrangement to Robert over text. I may have an amazing companion for you, he wrote. I don't want to get your hopes up, but she's an international model. She's so fine, I'm jealous. The girl Slava offered up was Portia Wade. She was the youngest of the smugglers and the only woman. She was 19 at the time. I don't know about international, but she had done some modeling. She lived with her boyfriend in a condo in downtown Toronto. That boyfriend was Plug Pope.

[Nate Carty]

Portia Wade was brought into the situation because the person that I went with, the drug dealer, he initiated her into this and I think he told her the cut was like $3,000, $5,000. So he was making a little bit of money on the back end of it.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

Portia was a teenager who taught Sunday school, who later told the court that she was dragged into this by a bad boyfriend who manipulated her.

[Nate Carty]

That sounds likely. I mean, that's kind of like the lifestyle of a 19 year old girl who moved into the big city and doesn't have anywhere to really stay. So she has to depend on the kindness of men in her life who may not be the most upstanding citizens themselves.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

Of all the people enlisted into the scheme, Portia seems the most vulnerable. The judge who later presided over her case said she was not convinced that throughout all of this, Portia really knew what she was doing. She told a court that in her life with Pope, she drank every day and used Xanax recreationally. Her sentence included a psychiatric report which revealed that Portia had tried to kill herself three times. The latest attempt was less than a year before the trip. She'd been diagnosed with depression, anxiety and pica, a disorder that caused Portia to compulsively eat toilet paper. She was also diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder with dissociative symptoms of depersonalization. Due to her complex Childhood trauma. The therapist who prepared the psychiatric report said that, quote, the offender is unable to access a stable sense of self or identity. The significance of this in relation to the current offense is that it renders her more susceptible to the influence of. Of other people. Just days before their flight, Robert picked Portia up from Pope's condo and took her to Parkdale, to Slava's apartment for another meeting. He recorded this one, too. Slava and Allie gave Robert and Portia itineraries in a folder with hotel and flight bookings, even some information about sightseeing trips around Sydney. They helped them work on their backstory as a couple celebrating Robert's recent graduation. According to the transcript, Ali told them how to act at the airport to make it seem like they're a real couple. The hand holding thing sells it, he said. Put your shoulder on him. Like, make him seem like all this. This is an actual couple actually going on a trip to actually Sydney. Sava and Ali told them to go to the gym every day they're in Las Vegas so that they look healthy and carefree. They even gave instructions for a DIY exfoliating face facial on the long haul flight to Sydney so they would look fresh when they landed. On the Sunday before she was set to fly, Sliva checked in on Portia. Are you ready for the trip? He asked. Hey. No, I didn't pack yet, she texted back. I don't know the date that I'm leaving. The fifth and final person enlisted to join Jordan and Nate, Rob and Portia was a guy named Kutiba Senussi. Of all the couriers, I know the least about him. Sava says he doesn't really know Katiba either.

[Nate Carty]

Katiba has nothing to do with me. Like, nothing.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

Well, almost nothing.

[Nate Carty]

I think he was in my house at one point.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

According to court documents, Katiba was enlisted by Michael Ford. Slava says he's the one who connected him with the whole operation. I was able to get in touch with Michael via email, but once I put these allegations to him, he stopped responding. An Australian court later heard that Katiba was an events planner who met Mike at Montreal's McGill University. Katiba says he thought he was going with Michael on the trip. He knew they'd be smuggling drugs, but thought Michael would be the one carrying them. He wasn't expecting to get paid beyond getting a free trip to Australia. But a week and a half before the flight to Vegas, Michael said he couldn't go after all because he had a criminal record. According to a CBC news report, Michael Ford then known as Michael Hindler, was convicted in 2009 of sexual interference with a 13 year old. When he was 18, he was sentenced to weekends in jail for 90 days. In 2014, he legally changed his last name from Hitler to Ford. When Katiba heard Michael was dropping out, he was relieved. He thought that Michael dropping out meant he was off the hook. But then Michael found someone else to go in his place. Katiba met with one of the Tweedles, and at that meeting he says he was told that another person who once tried to back out had razor blades shoved up their fingernails. This is the same threat Slava said he heard from Michael, AKA Trey.

[Nate Carty]

Trey reminded me that one time one person tried to back out and they were tied to a chair and there were razor blades put under their fingernails.

[Kasha Mihailovic]

A few days before the trip, Katiba said he did try to back out and was again told his safety and the safety of his brother Mustafa couldn't be assured. He decided to go through with it. So that's five people booked to fly together halfway around the world. They're strangers to each other or close to it, but they do have some things in common. As I mentioned, all of them lacked the defenses that helped others just walk away from Slava. They have other things in common too. Each of them had aspirations in Vice's world music modeling events, and they were all hopefuls in creative industries. None of them had a criminal record, and there's nothing I learned that suggests any of them had done anything like this before. Finally, unlike the other kids who said no, none of these kids are white. If Slava's foolproof plan was as he described it, to get three sets of white couples who could each pass for inconspicuous boyfriend and girlfriend off on holiday, well, he didn't do a great job. But they didn't know about that part. And there they were, all set to travel on the same flight just before Christmas to Nevada and then on to Australia carrying strange bags no one wanted to go. Next stop, Las Vegas. Cool Mules is hosted and reported by me, Kasia Mihailovic, and is written and produced by me and Jesse Brown. Research assistance from Jonathan Goolsbee. Additional production work by Tiffany Lam. Additional research by Hannah Ryan in Sydney. Kevin Sexton is our managing editor. Music by Nathan Burley Sound design and mix by Chandra Bulakan. The next episode of Coal Mules will be released in one week, but you can hear the entire series right now ad free by clicking the link in the episode notes and signing up to support our reporting with $5 a month. You can also support us at cool mules.ca join.

[Josie Santee]

Hey, this is Josie Santee from the Every Girl Podcast, and this episode is brought to you by Nordstrom. Summer's here, and Nordstrom has everything you need for your best dressed season ever. From beach days and weddings to weekend getaways in your everyday wardrobe, discover stylish options under a hundred dollars from tons of your favorite brands like Mango Skims, Princess Polly and Madewell. It's easy, too, with free shipping and free returns in store order, pickup and more. Shop today in stores [e-mail] or download the Nordstrom app.

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