Paul Keith Makin jailed for drug dealing on Sunshine Coast

A Sunshine Coast surveyor who would deliver narcotics on afternoons when he picked up his children over a nearly two-year drug dealing career has been jailed.

A Sunshine Coast surveyor who acted as a one-stop shop for marijuana and weed cookies after successfully dealing drugs for almost two years until a routine traffic stop has been jailed.

Maroochydore District Court heard Paul Keith Makin, 43, had more than 40 customers while selling street-level marijuana and weed cookies, keeping track of his sales through ticksheets on post-it notes.

The Mountain Creek dad’s operation was busted open at a routine traffic stop in Coochin Creek by police on March 2, 2021, which revealed incriminating drug dealing messages on his phone.

Crown prosecutor Rebecca Marks said post-it notes containing customer debt information was found in his vehicle along with cannabis seeds, two mobile phones and $15,760.

Police told Makin they would be searching his home and asked if he had anything he’d like to declare to them, to which he replied “there’s a s--tload of pot there”, the court heard.

Paul Keith Makin. Picture: Facebook

Ms Marks said the raid of Makin’s former Buddina home on March 3, 2021 uncovered 1.136kg of marijuana, 0.3g of meth, weed cookies, clip seal bags, a cryovac machine for packaging drugs, a taser and a vacuum.

His operation was detailed to the court which heard Makin would sell drugs for cash payments but would also sell on credit to trusted customers.

The court heard Makin would personally deliver on some weekday afternoons across the Sunshine Coast and as far south as Bracken Ridge and Sandgate when he picked up his children.

Paul Keith Makin. Picture: Facebook

The court heard the 1.136kg of marijuana had a street value of $14,000, which was packaged in 16 separate plastic bags.

Defence barrister Kelvin Pearson said the Mountain Creek surveyor had conducted the operation with a partner and had lived off the money from drug sales before their relationship deteriorated.

Makin however continued to deal drugs after their break up, but Mr Pearson said the 43-year-old was “grateful” when he was arrested.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing drugs, two of possessing anything used in the commission of crime, two possessing property obtained from trafficking, and one of drug trafficking, possessing anything for use in the commission of crime and possessing a weapon.

The Mountain Creek dad was sentenced to three years’ jail, to be suspended after serving six months.

Convictions were recorded.