Hamza Tetkic jailed for four years for trafficking cocaine

A “busy” drug dealer caught on his way to a party with $85,000 of cocaine tried to argue police had “no authority” to search his car.

A “busy” cocaine dealer is now behind bars after he was caught on his way to drop off over $85,000 of drugs to a party.

Hamza Tetkic, 25, was jailed for over four years after he unsuccessfully argued that police had no authority to search his car.

During sentencing, the District Court heard police pulled Tetkic over on April 23, 2020 as he had a defective brake light.

Tetkic, who appeared to be under the influence of drugs, locked the car’s doors and refused to co-operate.

“You maintained that your brake lights were not faulty, that police had no authority,” Judge Simon Stretton said.

Hamza Tetkic was jailed for four years for trafficking cocaine. Photo: File

“Ultimately, your continued refusals necessitated the police to break into the car to remove you.”

A search of his car revealed 248g of a substance containing cocaine, worth up to $86,000 if sold by the gram, and $985 in Tetkic’s wallet.

Police then attended his house and found 51g of a substance containing cocaine in his bedroom, as well as plastic resealable bags, scales and $4750.

That cocaine was valued at up to $17,850 if sold by the gram.

The court heard Tetkic was in the process of couriering the 248g of cocaine from a supplier to another party for personal gain.

Tetkic, of Seaton, pleaded guilty to commercial drug trafficking and drug trafficking.

The court heard Tetkic, who previously worked for Australia Post delivering parcels, was classified as a “busy ongoing trafficker of cocaine”.

The court heard Tetkic, who had a significant addiction to cocaine and was using up to an 8-ball a day, was committed to remaining drug free.

Judge Stretton sentenced Tetkic to four years and three months, with a non-parole period of two years.

“Illicit drugs such as this are rightly defined as very harmful,” he said.

“The long experience of this court is they simply destroy lives both directly and indirectly throughout our community.”