Townsville man busted when Australia Post intercept package of weed

A North Queensland man’s “dark web” drug operation was brought down when a suspicious package was intercepted at a mail sorting station.

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A TOWNSVILLE man who was using cryptocurrency to buy drugs from the dark web has narrowly avoided going to jail.

Colin William Morgan, 53, fronted Townsville Magistrates Court on Monday charged with five offences related to drugs, to which he pleaded guilty.

A parcel containing a significant quantity of marijuana, destined for Morgan’s home, was intercepted by Australian Border Force at a mail depot.

It was alleged in September last year a mail check was conducted by Australian Border Force and police, using drug detection dogs, intercepted a package.

Inside the package was 860 grams of marijuana, which police were able to link to Morgan through his address on the outside.

COLIN WILLIAM MORGAN PLEADED GUILTY TO SIX CHARGES IN THE TOWNSVILLE MAGISTRATES COURT, JUNE 21, 2021. PHOTO: FACEBOOK.

In October, a search warrant was executed on Morgan’s house and police located a clip seal bag containing cannabis seeds, a Samsung Galaxy phone, a pipe previously used to smoke cannabis and five used needles and syringes.

Police examined the phone and found a number of Facebook Messenger notifications relating to the possession and supply of dangerous drugs.

Prosecutor Cassandra Nitz said when police questioned Morgan he said he did not know why the package was addressed to him.

Ms Nitz said it was “serious drug offending” and said Morgan had a history “littered” with drug offences since 2000.

Morgan’s lawyer Sarah Belford said his client was a single man with no children.

Ms Belford said Morgan was a qualified boilermaker and had been employed as machine operator for five years.

She said Morgan began using cannabis at 13 to manage trauma he had suffered throughout his life and was diagnosed with AIDS in 2012.

A criminal record of four pages was tendered to the court.

Magistrate Steven Mosch said it was an “escalation in offending”.

He said Morgan had accessed the “dark web” and was using electronic currency to engage in drug-related activity.

Mr Mosch said it was “concerning” there were messages on Morgan’s phone telling others how to use the dark web to purchase dangerous drugs.

Morgan was sentenced to six months imprisonment for possessing cannabis.

He was further sentenced to one month imprisonment for possessing cannabis seeds.

For possessing a mobile phone used to commit a drug offence he was sentenced to three months imprisonment.

For the remaining offences he was convicted and not further punished.

Morgan was granted immediate release on parole.

Convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Townsville man busted when Australia Post intercept package of weed