Saar Marie Koek fined $1.4k for drug crimes

The 31-year-old woman had no prior criminal history before police caught her as part of an undercover sting.

Saar Marie Koek, 31, had no prior criminal history before she became one of the targets of an undercover police operation between August 2020, and February 2021.​

A 31-year-old Green’s Creek woman with a squeaky clean criminal history has been slapped with an almost $1500 fine for her role in an undercover police drug bust.

The court heard Saar Marie Koek had no prior criminal history before she became one of the targets of an undercover police operation between August 2020, and February 2021.

Police prosecutor Melissa Campbell said Gympie Police began the undercover operation in July 2019 to target the supply and trafficking of drugs in the Gympie area, and in February of 2020 undercover police attended an address to purchase drugs, where Koek was also present.

Sgt Campbell said at the time $2500 in cash exchanged hands and was given to Koek.

Koek’s defence lawyer David Murray said she was told to count the $2500, which was handed to her by the target of the undercover operation, before handing it back to him.

Sgt Campbell said six months later in August 2020 a search warrant was executed at a Greens Creek address where Koek was detained by police.

Police found 0.1g of methamphetamine, three used syringes and a broken glass meth pipe which the court heard Koek admitted to owning.

Mr Murray said Koek was not the target of the operation and was a regular user of methamphetamine.

He said his client had lost her blue card as a result of the operation.

Koek pleaded guilty to possessing a glass pipe and methamphetamine, failing to dispose of a needle and for possession of the $2500.

She was fined a sum of $1400 and ordered to forfeit all property seized, but no conviction was recorded.