Ivan Tesic charged with drug trafficking: Supergrass witness admits lying to police

A supergrass witness who could bring down alleged drug baron Ivan Tesic, claiming he worked as Tesic’s mule, has admitted lying to police to protect a drug dealer mate.

A SUPERGRASS witness who could bring down alleged drug baron Ivan Tesic has admitted lying to police to protect his mate, drug dealer Shane Ross.

The man, a convicted criminal who claims he worked as Tesic’s mule delivering meth-oil to the Gold Coast in 2013 and 2014 and claims he saw Tesic count drug proceeds, has told a Supreme Court jury he initially didn’t tell police about mate Shane Ross -- instead referring to “a male in Helensvale” - because he “was intimidated by” Ross.

Tesic, 45, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of carrying on a business of trafficking in drugs between March 31, 2011 and March 21, 2014 and a charge of possession of ice on March 20, 2014 at his home in Isle of Capri on the Gold Coast.

Under cross examination by Tesic’s barrister on the fourth day of the two-week trial, the courier has denied suggestions that there are holes in his story because is “making up” his evidence against Tesic as he “goes along”.

He has previously testified that Tesic gave him instructions of when and where to deliver meth oil via his encrypted Blackberry phone.

The man conceded under questioning that the “stash spots” or secret hideyholes used to hide meth-oil, drugs and cash in a Holden Commodore ute, were installed on the orders of another Gold Coast drug dealer, Sean Beachy, and not on Tesic’s orders.

The mule also conceded in evidence before the jury that he had been selling large quantities of ice - separate to his courier work for Tesic - for Mr Beachy and his mate Dean Cauchi.

Ivan Tesic has pleaded not guilty to a charge of carrying on a business of trafficking in drugs.

He told the court that he began moving drugs for Mr Beachy in April 2011 after he (SUBS the mule) “got out of prison” for earlier drug trafficking.

“I just didn’t disclose all of my drug dealing,” the mule told the jury under cross examination.

The mule told the jury he was “heavily involved in the club scene” at the time and was keeping his drug-taking, couriering and partying a secret from his parents, with whom he still lived.

The mule also agreed under cross examination that he had “deliberately lied” to police when he told them $18,500 cash found in his bag during a police raid on Tesic’s Isle of Capri home were his “savings” when in truth they were the proceeds of drug sales.

Tesic’s barrister Saul Holt QC suggested to the mule that he had a motive to lie to the jury because he had done a deal with police to avoid up to 25 years jail, which he could be forced to serve if convicted of trafficking under tough anti-bikie VLAD laws.

The mule was given a wholly-suspended sentence for his role in Tesic’s alleged drug ring, the court heard.

The jury were read parts of the mule’s statement to police where he described working for brothers Luke and Zac Glassford, the owners of East Coast Tyre and Auto in Southport.

The mule denied suggestions by Mr Holt that he failed to tell police about how he had seen Luke Glassford “making crystal meth” because he was trying to “protect” himself.

He allegedly told police that he saw another brother, Aaron Glassford, “making speed at his house on Monaco Street” in Broadbeach Waters.

Mr Holt suggested to the mule that Tesic was merely a “muscle car” enthusiast who had made his money “importing tyre rims” for cars, investing in mines in Western Australia and “buying and selling property”.

He suggested that the mule had only acted as a handyman who fixed the pool in Tesic’s home, and did “stuff around the yard” and “arranged for” tradesmen to come to the house when Tesic was in Sydney.

He suggested that the mule was dealing drugs out of Tesic’s home on Amalfi Drive in the Isle of Capri without Tesic’s knowledge.

The trial continues before Justice Glenn Martin.