Chilean international facing deportation and jailed after drug trafficking on Gold Coast

A man has been jailed and will be deported after he was caught dealing MDMA and discussing a cocaine import by undercover cops.

A chilean international has been jailed after he dealt drugs to undercover police and discussed bringing in $80,000 worth of cocaine from overseas with them.

Pablo Migue Morales-Randolph, 28, will spend a year in jail with a three-year suspended sentence after the hearing the Brisbane Supreme Court today and will be facing deportation after his term in custody.

Morales-Randolph moved from Chile to Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast three-years ago, living in Surfers Paradise while working in hospitality and construction.

Crown prosecutor Steve Dickson told the Supreme Court Morales-Randolph dealt MDMA capsules and powder to undercover police on seven occasions from June 7 to August 25 in 2019.

Over this time Morales-Randolph supplied undercover police 15 MDMA capsules and 7.5 grams of MDMA powder.

Mr Dickson said Morales-Randolph and the undercover police had discussions about importing a kilogram of cocaine into the country.

The man pleaded guilty to unlawfully trafficking dangerous drugs, drug possession and possessing drug trafficking utensils.

“He and the officers agreed to split the cost of 1kg of cocaine into the country, he discussed with police he would need $40,000 upfront to make the buy,” Mr Dickson said.

“Police refused to supply that amount of cash and ultimately the defendant was unable to source the drugs.”

Police executed a search-warrant at Morales-Randolph’s apartment in Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast on September 17, 2019.

During the raid, police found a mobile phone with five days’ worth of drug-trafficking related messages, 96g of Cannabis, 4g of MDMA, cash and drug trafficking utensils.

“They were targeting drug trafficking in the area, the defendant was one of the targets,” Mr Dickson said.

Judge Ann Lyons said Morales-Randolph had no previous criminal history in Chile or Australia.

She accepted the defence’s argument that there was no significant profit to him from the offences and it was mainly to feed a drug habit.

Morales-Randolph had pleaded guilty to unlawfully trafficking dangerous drugs, drug possession and possessing drug trafficking utensils.