Kalabe Saurine: Gympie man admits trafficking in ice, MDMA

A southeast Qld youth has admitted to trafficking in three dangerous drugs, offering them on credit and threatening dire consequences if repayments were missed.

A southeast Queensland youth trafficked in three dangerous drugs, employing threats to debtors and marketing his product as “good s***”, a court has heard.

Gympie man Kalabe John Steven Saurine, 21, pleaded guilty in Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday to three offences.

They included trafficking in methamphetamine, cannabis and MDMA, possessing a restricted drug, Sildenafil (aka Viagra), and possessing a Category B lever-action rifle.

The court heard Saurine was arrested on March 15 last year in relation to another investigation which resulted in unrelated charges currently before the courts.

Saurine was discovered in possession of a Sildenafil pill and mobile phone, analysis of which uncovered the defendant’s street-level drug operation.

Between November 18, 2019 and January 12 last year, Saurine supplied or offered to supply methamphetamine at least 19 times, MDMA six times, and cannabis 10 times.

Saurine sold at street-level quantities, the largest transaction being $900 for a “ball and a half” of ice.

Crown prosecutor Ron Swanwick told the court Saurine had at least 10 customers, whom he would actively market his drugs to, offer discounts and occasionally supply on credit.

Gympie ice-trafficker Kalabe John Steven Saurine, 21. Picture: File

To one, he bragged his ice was “good s***,” to another he sent a threatening message chasing up a $650 debt, telling them, “Better have (my money by) Tuesday otherwise everyone gets hurt and don’t start running”.

Analysis of the phone also revealed Saurine was in possession of the rifle on March 11 last year.

Saurine has been remanded in pre-sentence custody since his March 15 arrest, a total of 615 days.

He was on probation at the time of his current offending.

Defence counsel Scott Lynch told the court his client had a “fond” relationship with his mother and two sisters but had a “long” drug history stemming back to high school and he had “continued on that trajectory”.

Mr Lynch said Saurine had previously worked as a stationhand and at a meatworks.

Justice Frances Williams adjourned the sentence for review on March 4 next year due to “complicating features” which would resolve pending the outcome of Saurine’s additional matters, which are due for committal in February next year.