Benjamin Joseph Haylock, 42, of Mermaid Waters, faces charges of trafficking in dangerous drugs and weapons

A crane operator who allegedly trafficked drugs and firearms as a part of alleged Brisbane crime syndicate has been charged through the Australian Federal Police’s “sting of the century” crackdown.

A crane operator who allegedly trafficking drugs and firearms as a part of alleged Brisbane crime syndicate has been charged through the Australian Federal Police’s “sting of the century” crackdown.

Benjamin Joseph Haylock, 42, of Mermaid Waters, faces charges of trafficking in dangerous drugs (serious organised crime), unlawful trafficking in weapons, possessing property suspected of being the proceeds of a drug offence, possessing dangerous drugs and contravening an order necessary to access information stored electronically.

He appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court after being arrested Monday as part of the nation wide Operation Ironside which used AFP hacked phones distributed to alleged criminals.

The court has heard police alleged they had information from encrypted devices suggesting Haylock sent “a list of available firearms” and sourcing a kilo of MDMA.

Magistrate Judith Daley today said they were “significant charges”

“He’s been an alleged facilitator in providing quite significant quantities of drugs, facilitating and receiving large quantities of cash, he was found with the encryption phones, he refused to give over a password,” she said.

According to court documents Haylock is accused of trafficking cannabis and methamphetamine as part of an alleged criminal syndicate involving Christopher James Spurling, 33, Cody John Albert Kirby, 33 and Ernesto Antonio Silva, 33.

Those men appeared in court earlier this week.

Police allege Haylock was also trafficking category H, C and D firearms in Brisbane from April to June this year.

When police raided his waterfront home they allegedly discovered a small amount of testosterone, an encrypted device and a watch and luxury items suspected of being the proceeds of a drug offence.

Ms Daley said Haylock was allegedly also found with fake NSW identification and Medicare card.

Haylock’s lawyer Michael Bosscher said the allegations relating to his client were not as serious as some of the others swept up by Operation Ironside this week.

Mr Bosscher said one objection to bail affidavit by police referred to Haylock in relation to “ a couple of proposed transactions involving firearms and a couple of transactions involving dangerous drugs.”

“But nowhere near to the extent that the other persons are referred to in that material,” he said.

Another affidavit “at its absolute highest a transaction of delivery of monies. It doesn’t refer in any way to drugs”.

Until March Haylock had been working at an electrical cabling and crane company for the last six years, he said.

Mr Bosscher said stringent conditions including drug testing and a ban on having encrypted devices would reduce his client’s bail risk. Queensland Police already have his passport, he said.

However Ms Daley found there was a real risk of Haylock failing to appear if granted bail.

“Given the seriousness of these, if convicted he will face a significant term of imprisonment,” she said. .

Bail was refused and the matter adjourned to July 5.

Haylock mouthed “I love you” to his partner in the courtroom.