Truck driver caught transporting 143kg of cannabis was contacted by ‘unknown person’
The text messages of a truck driver caught transporting more than $1 million worth of cannabis have been aired in court during his sentencing. Read the texts
Gold Coast
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A truck driver caught transporting more than $1 million worth of cannabis says he was contacted by an “unknown person” on an app and paid to deliver palm trees.
Merrick Wade Ubank, 43, appeared at a Southport District Court where he pleaded guilty to one count of possessing more than 500g of a dangerous drug.
In April last year, the then 42-year-old mechanic and international showjumper, was intercepted by police on K.P McGrath Drive, Elanora, while driving a Hino Pantec truck, Crown Prosecutor Paul Kay said.
Mr Kay said police informed Ubank they suspected the truck was carrying cannabis and advised him that they would search the vehicle.
When asked, Ubank told police he wasn’t aware if he was carrying anything illegal.
But upon inspection, police located seven padlocked tubs hidden behind a number of palm trees.
The tubs contained 58 cryobags of cannabis weighing 143 kgs with a street value of about $500,000 to $1.2 million, Mr Kay said.
Police also seized a mobile phone on which they found messages between Ubank and an unnamed individual sent through ‘Prima’ – a business messaging app.
“[Ubank] received a message saying ‘Yo I made a group xx’,” Mr Kay said.
Ubank replied to the message asking ‘Is normal spot where I’m going?’.
“[Ubank] received a text saying ‘Yeah brother, how are you travelling? Keep those boxes at yours and I’ll get someone to grab’,” Mr Kay told the court.
Ubank was arrested and in a police interview told officers that he received calls from an “unknown person” who paid him $2000 to transport a container of palm trees from Queensland to Melbourne.
“He took the palm trees down [to Melbourne], they were unloaded and whilst he was absent it was reloaded with smaller palm trees,” Mr Kay said.
Ubank then travelled back to Queensland with the new load.
Mr Kay said the nature of the messages meant Ubank should have “reasonably suspected” he was transporting a dangerous drug but that the Crown could not prove that he was knowingly trafficking.
Ubank currently works as a self-employed equine-assisted rehab therapist and holds a blue card. He also fixes motors and does truck driving on a casual basis.
Defence barrister Stephen Kissick said Ubank had a “pro-social attitude” and was committed to co-parenting his child and therefore not likely to reoffend.
He has no previous criminal history.
Judge Deborah Holliday said Ubank had engaged in “serious criminal conduct” but that he was “otherwise a contributing member of society”.
She sentenced him to 150 hours community service to be completed within one year and to pay a fine of $2000 within 28 days, referred to SPER. No conviction was recorded.
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