Trafficker told cop of plans to blow up gun shop

A MAN who trafficked more than eight kilograms of methamphetamines in 14 months, making over $1 million for his supplier, told a cop about plans to blow up a gun shop.

A MAN who trafficked more than eight kilograms of methamphetamines in 14 months, making over $1 million for his supplier, told a cop about plans to blow up a gun shop.

Scott Andrew Adams, 41, pleaded guilty in Supreme Court in Rockhampton yesterday to one count of trafficking dangerous drugs, one of possessing more than 2gs of drugs, one count of possessing dangerous drugs and four of supplying weapons.

Justice Graeme Crow said the facts of Adams' offending were typed across 10 A4 pages and included being the target of police, his calls intercepted by police, along with dealing drugs and firearms to an undercover police officer who he told about plans to blow up a Gladstone Rd gun shop so he could steal hand guns to sell and pay off his drug debts.

All of this offending took place while Adams was on bail for minor drug related offences.

Defence barrister Cliff Crawford said Adams turned to trafficking drugs after his Centrelink payments stopped.

The court heard the father of six failed to do two courses - logistics and business - as required by Centrelink, which lead to the payments being cut off.

Adams was placed on Centrelink after surgery for an aneurysm in his frontal lobe in 2012.

The court heard Adams told a friend about his Centrelink woes in March or April 2017 and the friend suggested Adams work for him selling drugs.

Adams escorted his friend to an Allenstown residence in November 2017 where the friend exchanged $250,000 cash in a box with three kilograms of meth.

Mr Crawford said Adams would gain firearms for protection and then feared police would find them when his house was raided, so he sold them, only to have the fear return and he would get another firearm for protection.

 

Police raid at Port Curtis.

 

 

 

Adams estimated he sold over eight kilograms of meth during the trafficking period and turned over $1 million for his friend/supplier.

The court heard Adams had a $14,000 drug debt by February 17, 2018.

Justice Crow said Adams told the undercover officer of plans to blow up a Gladstone Rd gun shop using 0.5kg of ammonium nitrate and 0.5kg gun powder he had, along with a detonator he showed the man.

He said Adams told the cop he could steal about 15-20 hand guns, had multiple getaway strategies and selling three or four of the guns would pay off his drug debt and his solicitor's fees.

His plans were so detailed, he had a time for the break in, balaclava and rubber gloves ready.

The court heard Adams boasted about a safe stolen from Duaringa full of firearms which police did not find.

Justice Crow said Adams later changed his mind and told the officer he would ram the store with a tractor instead.

The court heard Adams did not keep a tick sheet, as most traffickers do, resulting in regularly making a loss and having to sell his own belongings to pay back the supplier.

He also accepted guns and stolen items such as a motorbike as payment for drugs.

Adams hid fire arms under the water tank on his property, under a large fridge in his workshop, along with hiding drugs and cash in the fireplace and in the pole of a CCTV camera.

He had a high fence, bright lights and CCTV cameras around his Edith St, Port Curtis, property, which police raided on June 30, 2018, finding the CCTV units, digital scales, four mobile phones, documents listing names and amounts, one cannabis seed in a light fitting, $2250 cash in his pocket, a syringe with 0.4ml clear liquid which tested positive for meth and $3290 cash in his car.

 

 

Police raid at Port Curtis.

 

 

 

Justice Crow said the police had 26 supplies they could prove Adams carried out over five months, including 2.29g of meth to the undercover cop for $1650.

Police also busted Adams with 6.815g of meth - 5.8g hidden in a pipe attached under the car with zip ties - when he and co-accused Brock Skillington were intercepted at Comet on the Capricorn Highway on February 1, 2018.

Skillington has been sentenced for the Comet intercept, along with an 11-month drug trafficking operation, receiving a 4.5 year prison term.

Justice Crow sentenced Adams to 9.5 years in prison, to serve four years.

He will be eligible for parole on September 21, 2023 after 51 days presentence custody was declared.

Originally published as Trafficker told cop of plans to blow up gun shop