Martin Van Der Rijken: How Browns Plains business owner turned to drug dealing

A Browns Plains roofing business owner turned drug dealer will spend Christmas behind bars after police caught him trafficking cannabis.

A Browns Plains roofing business owner turned drug dealer will spend Christmas behind bars after police caught him trafficking cannabis on the side for a year.

Martin William Van Der Rijken, 49, pleaded guilty to trafficking dangerous drugs and possessing drug utensils or pipes in district court at Beenleigh on Tuesday.

The court heard police conducted a search at his address in Browns Plains on November 3, 2020.

Martin William Van Der Rijken. Picture: Facebook

They located 265 grams of cannabis and two cannabis seedlings grown inside a small tarpaulin under a ultra violet light.

Police also found a set of digital scales, grinders and five water pipes.

A forensic examination of Van Der Rijken’s phone that found text messages revealing he committed 80 acts of trafficking cannabis between October 2, 2019, and October 13, 2020.

The court heard he had about 16 regular customers and he sourced his cannabis locally and interstate suppliers.

He dealt in multiple strains of cannabis with nicknames such as AK, OG California Orange, Liberty Haze, Mango Kush and Moon Rocks.

Judge Craig Chowdhury said Van Der Rijken had a minimal history.

“It is a tragedy to see someone with your hard working background here, charged as a criminal in the dock of the district court,” he said

“You’ve owned your own business for 30 years, you’re a roof tiler, that’s a hard slog and not surprisingly you’ve got back pain as a result.

“You started using cannabis to deal with the pain.”

Van Der Rijken’s lawyer said he had since been prescribed medical cannabis from his doctor.

He was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended after he serves four months.