Jodi Kym Edwards pleads guilty to ice trafficking in Moranbah

A standover woman was making her way up the meth trafficking chain, building a solid client list and threatening to “slaughter” those who owed drug debts until she bragged to the wrong person.

Jodi Kym Edwards was charged as part of operation Tango Gismo, targeting drug trafficking across Central Queensland and resulted in the arrested of 20 people on 117 charges.

A wannabe Moranbah meth queen bragged about her drug trafficking business to an undercover cop, telling him she had stacks of cash stashed at her home.

Jodi Kym Edwards, 36, was the primary suspect in multi-branch police operation Tango Gismo, targeting drug trafficking across Central Queensland and resulting in the arrested of 20 people on 117 charges.

Police began the covert operation in early 2021 using phone taps, surveillance and undercover work to gather intel on the mum of three and street level dealer.

She mainly sold meth and marijuana but could “easily source other drugs such as MDMA and on occasion (LSD)”, Mackay Supreme Court heard.

Edwards had a main unknown supplier but also bought drugs from another target of the operation Jay Polianski when she was low – the pair ran meth dealing businesses but at times helped each other out with stock.

Jay William Politanski.

“You supplied drugs on at least 58 occasions during the trafficking period,” Justice Graeme Crow said.

She had at least 29 customers “and your supplies were frequent, sometimes daily” and to numerous people and even on the same day, Justice Crow said.

The court heard she sold in amounts from 0.1g up to 0.5g, as well as half balls of meth (1.75g), but would not sell full balls of meth saying it wasn’t profitable enough and she would have to advertise.

She regularly sold on tick, had to chase up drug debts and made threats to those who owed her money including that she would “f---ing slaughter them”, “that you would punch their head in” and they would “die a slow painful death”.

Justice Crow highlighted that months after she was busted with 2.601g of pure meth on May 18 she began trafficking.

Operation Tango Gismo resulted in the arrest of 20 people, who were charged with 117 offences across the entire operation. Picture: QPS

Between August 21 to 24, 2021 Edwards supplied an undercover officer with 1g of meth for $750, told him she could supply him drugs and boasted she had $20,000 cash from drug sales stashed, which was a lie.

And, days later, she arranged for a drug associate to pick up 4.697g of meth for $3800 “from a source” in Mackay, the court heard.

“It’s incredible that you came to police attention and yet you continued,” Justice Crow said.

“Your conduct has to be denounced and deterred for what it is, serious evil, criminal conduct.”

New Zealand national Edwards pleaded guilty to charges including meth trafficking, aggravated drug possession and possessing cash from drug sales between July 14 and November 13, 2021 at Moranbah.

Jodi Kym Edwards pleaded guilty to trafficking meth in Central Queensland.

The court heard she had a troubled upbringing and turned to alcohol use at a very young age, left home at 17, had her first of three children at 18 and moved to Queensland at 19 – first to Mackay and then out to Central Queensland.

She continued using alcohol to excessive amounts and by her late 20s was drinking up to two bottles a day resulting in a relationship breakdown.

In 2019 she started using meth when she was 31 before commencing a relationship with a drug dealer leading to an escalation in her use up to 1.75g per day.

“You were using methylamphetamine very heavily at the time of this offending,” Justice Crow said.

Operation Tango Gismo resulted in the arrest of 20 people, who were charged with 117 offences across the entire operation. Picture: QPS

The court heard since she was released on bail she had stopped drug use and had been working two jobs including as a bond cleaner in Mackay since March 2023.

Justice Crow said he had been tendered nine clear drug screens and accepted “that you are drug free and have been for a considerable period of time”.

“You (have) taken steps to rehabilitate yourself,” Justice Crow said, adding he accepted she had been diagnosed and made attempts to treat bipolar, PTSD and alcohol and methylamphetamine use.

She was sentenced as a low-level offender with a single entry on her criminal history but Justice Crow warned her she would not be treated with such leniency if she returned to court for drug offending.

“You will have to choose in the future if you care more for the drug methylamphetamine than you do for your children,” Justice Crow said.

Edwards was sentenced to three years’ jail but allowed immediate parole and convictions were recorded.