Noosa cocaine dealer Nicholas Kani cops fine after pleading guilty

A Noosa man charged alongside 25 others following a 12-month operation that busted open an alleged local drug ring has learnt his fate in court after pleading guilty.

Nicholas Kani leaves Maroochydore Court House. Picture: Patrick Woods.

A Noosa man charged alongside 25 others following a 12-month operation that busted open an alleged local drug ring has had his day in court after pleading guilty to several charges.

Nicholas Kani, 45, appeared in the Maroochydore District Court on Tuesday, April 24, 2023 facing three counts of supplying cocaine and one count of possession of a mobile phone used in supplying a dangerous drug.

Kani pleaded guilty to all charges.

Crown prosecutor Jordan Lee said the main targets of the police operation in Noosa Heads were Matthew Long and Marcus Les Wright, who he said had partnered up to source and distribute dangerous drugs.

“This included cocaine, cannabis, steroids, valium and MDMA,” he said.

Mr Lee said Kani started messaging Mr Long as the court previously heard Mr Long and Kani’s brother Israel co-owned the Noosa Box Office gym.

“The defendant would regularly communicate with Mr Long through a signal messaging platform which utilises anti-encryption,” he said.

Mr Lee said Kani had supplied Mr Long with cocaine during November and December 2020.

“ (Mr) Long had inquired at approximately 7.30pm that night (December 19, 2020) quote ‘got a couple of fresh ones?’,” he said.

“To which the defendant replied ‘yeah I’ve got one left’.”

Nicholas Kani leaves Maroochydore Court House. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Kani was arrested on March 16, 2021 when police searched his home in Noosaville and seized his phone.

He was released without charge but was charged several months later on October 1, 2021.

The court heard Mr Long was currently facing charges, with an indictment soon to be presented to the Brisbane Supreme Court, and Wright was jailed for drug trafficking on April 6, 2023.

Israel Kani was sentenced and fined in Maroochydore District Court on March 13, 2023 for a single charge of supplying cocaine.

Kani’s defence lawyer John Cook argued that a fine would be appropriate and that he would not need supervision.

“There’s now been a significant passage of time between when he was charged with these offences and where he now comes before the court and there has been no drug offending of any kind,” he said.

Mr Cook said Kani had to put aside his plastering business after his wife suffered a heart attack around the time of the offending and that a community service order would be difficult for him.

“His wife’s condition can flare up at any time,” he said.

“That may well pose difficulties in relation to community service.”

Rolling Rock, Box Office Noosa gym connections charged with drug trafficking, offences

Judge Ken Barlow told Kani that the maximum sentence for the charge surrounding the mobile phone was 15 to 20 years’ imprisonment.

“The fact that these are your first offences and the fact you have pleaded guilty to them are matters that I take into account in your favour,” he said.

Mr Barlow said it didn’t appear that Kani had been trafficking cocaine.

“There was no commercial element in your supplies, it was rather helping out a mate to get some drug,” he said.

Mr Barlow recorded convictions for all four charges and sentenced Kani to pay a $2500 fine for the supply charges.

Mr Barlow said he “would not further punish” Kani for the fourth charge of possessing the mobile phone used in supplying the drugs.