Kevin Luu sentenced in Brisbane Supreme Court for trafficking “huge” amounts of meth
A burglar who fled from a bug spray-wielding mum during a bungled armed robbery has returned to court for trafficking “huge” quantities of meth in Brisbane’s south.
Police & Courts
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A burglar who fled from a bug spray-wielding mum during a bungled armed robbery has returned to court for trafficking “huge” quantities of meth in Brisbane’s south.
The Brisbane Supreme Court heard at the man’s sentence on Thursday how his trafficking scheme was uncovered after Australian Border Force thwarted his attempts to import more of the “insidious” drug into Queensland.
Kevin Luu, 29, faced Brisbane Supreme Court on Thursday for trafficking wholesale quantities of methamphetamine for a 19 day period in October and November 2022.
The court heard Luu had used encrypted messaging platforms to sell multiple ounce-quantities, sourced locally and internationally, to at least five customers.
Crown prosecutor Isabelle MacNicol told the court Luu had also attempted to import nearly half a kilo of pure methamphetamine into the country, but the packages were intercepted by Border Force.
She noted Luu was not actually charged with attempting to import drugs, but said it was included in the agreed facts for the drug trafficking.
“The fact that the defendant was sourcing such huge quantities, not just locally but overseas, adds to the seriousness of the trafficking,” she said.
The court heard Luu’s profit from the trafficking was unknown, but a tick sheet had revealed one of his customers owed him $42,000.
Luu, who had previously faced court in 2019 for possessing meth and cannabis, had also unlawfully sold a Glock firearm on November 2, 2022, the court was told.
Ms MacNicol said he made two other offers to sell firearms on the same date.
The court heard police found items at Luu’s Wishart home in November 2022 including a loaded silver handgun, ammunition, a gel blaster with two modified magazines, along with two MDMA tablets and 4.2g of meth.
Ms MacNicol noted Luu had been sentenced to three-and-a-half years jail last January for a robbery that occurred in November 2022 – around the same time as the drug trafficking.
Ms MacNicol said Luu and another man had entered a home, armed with a gun and a hammer, with intent to retrieve a gun they had stashed in the bushes following a nearby crash the previous day.
The court heard a woman inside the home fended the men off with bug spray – which caused the men to flee after Luu’s co-offender ignited the spray using a taser.
“The defendant was not simply supplying guns around the time of the offending – but he was in fact using them”, Ms MacNicol said.
She submitted that Luu might have received a sentence up to nine years jail if the robbery had been dealt with at the same time as the drug trafficking.
The court heard a psychologist’s report suggested Luu had been suffering meth dependence disorder at the time of the offending, but had “changed (his) ways” while on remand in custody.
The report also indicated Luu had also been suffering PTSD from an abusive relationship and that he showed symptoms of a personality disorder with narcissistic traits.
Luu pleaded guilty on Thursday to three counts of supplying a category H weapon, and one count each of trafficking dangerous drugs, possessing a category H weapon, possessing methylamphetamine in excess of 2g, possessing a dangerous drug, possessing utensils (a glass pipe and bong), possessing explosives (ammunition), possessing a detachable magazine without a licence, and contravening an order about information necessary to access information stored electronically.
He was supported in court by family including his parents – who the court heard were Vietnamese refugees and owners of a Brisbane fish and chip shop.
Justice Glenn Martin sentenced Luu to seven-and-a-half years in custody, with 415 days in presentence custody declared time served.
Luu, who will be eligible for parole on June 3, 2026, smiled and waved to his family as he was escorted back into custody.
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