SA drug trafficker Kyle James Harris jailed over almost $1 million worth of methylamphetamine

Caught with $1 million in drugs, an SA dealer insisted he was just a courier for the “real villains” – a claim that hasn’t saved him from a hefty prison term.

A million-dollar drug trafficker’s claim he was merely a courier for the “real villains” of SA’s underworld has failed to win over a judge or save him from a decade behind bars.

On Wednesday, the District Court rejected Kyle James Harris’ numerous excuses for the 1kg of methylamphetamine and $190,000 cash found, by police, during an RBT stop.

Harris insisted he committed both those offences and subsequent crimes while on home detention bail at the order of unnamed “villains” to whom he was in debt.

Prosecutors dubbed those claims “implausible to the point of being absurd” – in sentencing, Judge Paul Muscat agreed.

He said Harris stood to make $905,400 from the sale of the drugs in his possession.

“I’m satisfied, beyond reasonable doubt, you were directly involved in the trafficking of a large amount of drugs from which you made significant profit,” he said.

“Whether you were involved on your own or as part of a syndicate is irrelevant.”

Harris, 37, of Two Wells, pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug, possessing a controlled drug, and two counts of money laundering.

In July 2023, he was caught with 1kg of meth and $190,000 cash by police, who then found a further 500g of the drug and $33,000 cash in his home.

He was bailed but, in January 2024, caught with a further $33,450 in cash, 474g of meth and 171mL of the drug Fantasy.

Kyle James Harris was sentenced for trafficking in methylamphetamine. Picture: File image

Harris insisted he was a drug transporter, not seller, working for people he did not know, and had never met, through an encrypted app that he declined to name.

He further claimed to be addicted to meth, and having only become involved in drugs after losing his job during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Prosecutors, however, said his $170,000 fleet of luxury BMW, Audi, VW and Mercedes Benz vehicles showed he was a “middle-level dealer”.

In sentencing on Wednesday, Judge Muscat said Harris was offered the chance to take the stand and prove his claim on oath but declined.

That, he said, left him with no choice but to consider the evidence – and, having weighed it “in totality”, completely reject Harris’ explanation.

“Somewhat contrary to your claim of meth addiction, when you were pulled over and tested (by the RBT), no drugs were detected,” he said.

“It’s also difficult to accept people you didn’t know and had never met would use you to transport such large quantities of drugs … the risks (to them) are obvious.”

Judge Muscat jailed Harris for 10 years, with a six-year non-parole period.

He declined to give him any discount for time on home detention bail because of the offences committed during that period.