Vadim Volkov failed in bid to get his drug trafficking sentenced shortened

AN alleged Hells Angels jailbird has failed to have his sentence shortened for his part in a year-long, cross-border trafficking operation.

AN alleged Hells Angels jailbird has failed to have his sentence shortened for his part in a year-long, cross-border trafficking operation.

Vadim Volkov was sentenced to nine years’ prison last year after he pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court in Brisbane for trafficking cocaine, steroid and methamphetamine between August 2014 and August 2015.

He went to the Court of Appeal, claiming the sentence was too long.

Volkov was caught as a part of a Crime and Corruption Commission sting for his part in helping distribute drugs from New South Wales across the Gold Coast.

Court of Appeal documents said Volkov would use code words like “catch up”, “eat”, “feed”, “Sushi”, “coffee” and “cars” when making contact with his client.

Vadim Volkov with his father Victor looking at wreckage of their fishing boat at Southend near Beachport in August 2002.

Volkov would supply drugs worth hundreds of dollars and on one occasion supplied 84g of drugs.

There was also evidence he supplied in the amounts of an eight ball – 3.5g.

Volkov was also sent a number of BlackBerry phones from Hong Kong which he distributed to his contacts, including one of the syndicate leaders, Stephen Phillips.

Volkov had been under surveillance but that stopped when an auto-electrician found one of the bugs in his car.

Police conducted a number of raids at his homes, storage sheds and safety deposit boxes across the Gold Coast and Volkov was found with a small amount of drugs, chemicals, weapons and almost $383,000 in cash.

It is not clear how much of that money was from his drug business.

In the Court of Appeal, Volkov claimed the nine-year prison sentence was manifestly excessive when compared to other similar cases and because there were no aggravating circumstances.

The Court of Appeal looked at a number of similar crimes and ruled Volkov was given an appropriate prison sentence.

Justice Frances Williams said in the findings: “The sentence was not outside a proper sentencing range such that it could be described as unreasonable or plainly unjust.

“The sentence imposed was not so different from sentences imposed in other matters so as to be manifestly excessive.”

Volkov will remain behind bars until he is granted parole.

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Originally published as Vadim Volkov failed in bid to get his drug trafficking sentenced shortened