Drug kingpin stripped of assets but can keep Mustang

THE Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission has won a long legal battle to seize cars, cash and property from a convicted Toowoomba drug kingpin.

Jamie Williamson

THE Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission has won a legal battle lasting almost eight years to seize cars, cash and property from convicted Toowoomba drug kingpin Jamie William Williamson.

But court documents have revealed he was allowed to keep his prized 1973 Ford Mustang.

Williamson, 34, was found guilty in 2010 of trafficking and possessing speed, ecstasy and cannabis as a result of one of the state's largest drug busts.

He was subsequently sentenced to 13 years behind bars.

His trial in the Supreme Court heard Williamson had a drug business in the Toowoomba region selling to wholesalers and street dealers between 2004 and 2006.

Williamson was arrested at Brisbane Airport in December 2006, when he returned home from a luxury Hawaiian holiday, after police had earlier raided two storage sheds hired in his name.

During the raid, code-named Operation Delta Rosetta, police found $564,000 cash stashed in a knapsack and canvas bag, 8kg of cannabis, thousands of ecstasy tablets, 2kg of methylamphetamine and a large number of firearms.

Williamson also had $9850 in cash in his possession when he was arrested at the airport.

The then Queensland Crime and Misconduct Commission launched confiscation proceedings against Williamson's assets in June 2007, claiming his wealth had been amassed from the proceeds of crime.

In court documents, which APN Newsdesk has viewed, detailed analysis of Williamson's finances revealed travel, cars, property, shares and numerous stays at the Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast.

It also revealed Williamson had control over at least 10 bank accounts between January 2004 and January 2007, which millions of dollars had passed through.

The financial analysis found Williamson had purchased properties at Wilsonton and Westbrook and owned several vehicles, including a 1973 Ford Mustang, 2005 Subaru Impreza, 2006 Toyota Hilux and a high-performance Honda Motorcycle.

Williamson was also the sole owner and director of the Sportsco store located at Grand Central Shopping Centre which subsequently went bust following his arrest.

Williamson, in documents filed on May 15, 2007, applied to have all the above property excluded from forfeiture, later claiming in October 2008 that none of his income had been obtained illegally and he had not profited from drug trafficking.

But the legal battle finally came to an end earlier this month when Justice Debra Mullins ordered that some of Williamson's assets be forfeited to the state.

Those assets included $76,042 and $5298 which were net proceeds from the respective sale of the Westbrook and Wilsonton properties, the 2005 Subaru Impreza, 2006 Toyota Hilux, $9850 cash he had when arrested at the airport, a Heritage account containing $4364, and $2000 derived from the sale of the Sportsco store fittings.

Williamson retained his 1973 Ford Mustang and his high-performance Honda motorcycle.

- APN NEWSDESK.