Gold Coast man faces court for alleged drug trafficking in Logan

An accused Gold Coast drug trafficker’s exceptional timing allegedly opened him up to an unintentional undercover cop bust while he was carrying 6.5kg of drugs and $10,000 in cash.

A Gold Coast man has faced court after allegedly trafficking dangerous drugs in Logan.

Logan Police surveilling a petrol station were surprised when they allegedly observed a drug trafficking transaction go down right in front of them, while they were working on a totally different case.

Pimpama’s Blake Robert Dearlove, 35, was allegedly caught with more than 6.5kg of cannabis in Stapylton on May 3 in 2022.

Police were conducting surveillance on an unrelated matter when they allegedly found the defendant in the Stapylton BP service station car park.

“Whilst they are in that carpark at that BP service station, the detectives from a major crime squad observed the defendant pulling into a car park and another person coming into a carpark,” police prosecutor Stephen Cochran told the Beenleigh Magistrates Court.

“Then they see the co-accused, Mr Goodchild, enter the defendant’s motor vehicle and a drug transaction take place.”

Mr Cochran said in the co-offender’s car, police found one pound of cannabis in a cryovac bag, and that bag allegedly weighed the same nine other bags found in Mr Dearlove’s car.

“In the defendant’s vehicle they find a number of items, a total of 6.5kg of cannabis in 14 Cryovaced bags weighting 460g each, “Mr Cochran said.

“So they have been broken into separate groups and the prosecution’s submission is that is for distribution purposes.”

Police allege they also found in Mr Dearlove’s car, an IGA bag containing $2000 in the footwell, clip sealed bags containing $7960, a black coloured wallet containing $413 in cash and three phones.

“The case against the defendant is that he was there, in the prosecution’s submission, selling drugs,” Mr Cochran said.

Mr Dearlove was charged with possessing dangerous drugs exceeding schedule three but not four, possessing items used in the commission of a crime, possessing dangerous drugs schedule two drug quantity or exceeding schedule three, receiving or possessing property obtained from trafficking or supplying, supplying dangerous drugs and trafficking dangerous drugs.

Mr Dearlove’s lawyer, Robert Burns, said his client would not be indicating a plea.

“The prosecution’s case provided absolutely no clue whatsoever as to who did the organisation, who did the blame, who packaged, who distributed and who did the cash,” Mr Burns said.

“There is more unknown than there is known in this scenario.

“The case is weak, it is tenuous and it is vague.”

Magistrates Pamela Dowse reinstated Mr Dearlove’s bail, with conditions of reporting once a week.

“You are committed for trial to the criminal sitting of the Supreme Court of Brisbane on a date to be notified by the Director of Public Prosecutions,” Ms Dowse said.