Gympie teenager pleads guilty to trafficking over marijuana business

A former apprentice chef has faced court for drug trafficking after running an online “street level” marijuana business which included advertising his illegal products on Snapchat and Instagram.

A Gympie teenager who launched a “sophisticated” weed dealing business on Snapchat and Instagram has had the operation come to a crashing halt at court.

A Gympie teenager who launched a “sophisticated” weed dealing business on Snapchat and Instagram has had the operation come to a crashing halt at court.

Gympie District Court heard the 19-year-old, who cannot be named as the majority of his offending occurred while he was a minor, ran the business across a 16-month period from October 2021 to February 2023.

During this time he accumulated 25 known customers, selling marijuana to them on 56 occasions.

He raked in about $4700 from the deals, the court was told.

The business involved buying the drug in bulk 113g lots for $800, and then on-selling it in ounces.

Offers included a “quarter pound” for $25, 28g of the drug for $300 or $400, and a “two pack” weighing 56g for $600.

Police discovered the teen’s dealing when they searched his caravan and found a “tick book” tracking the sales, and clip seal bags labelled “2g $50”.

The court heard he told police he had started dealing “for a bit of money” and to support his own habits.

Two airlifted, child fights for life following Bruce Hwy crash

Gympie District Court heard the teen had a number of offers available for his buyers, including a “quarter pound” of marijuana for $25 and a “two pack” for $600. Picture: iStock/Bastiaan Slabbers

Judge Gary Long said the youth’s set-up was “somewhat sophisticated” even if he was only dealing with “street level” amounts of the drug.

Defence barrister Phillip Hardcastle said his client had been working as an apprentice chef at a restaurant, but lost his job when he turned 18 owing to the increase in the amount he had to be paid.

He was now unemployed and on Centrelink.

‘Lucky to be alive’: Witness describes harrowing scene in Kilkivan crash

Mr Hardcastle told the court the teen had “difficulty with cannabis in the past” and had turned to the drug after being exposed to domestic violence against his mother.

As a “very nervous” person he had turned to marijuana after other medications “did not help him”, Mr Hardcastle said.

The teen, who had no previous criminal history and was sentenced as an adult Tuesday, was given two years’ probation.

No conviction was recorded.