‘Lavish lifestyle’: Ex-Brisbane private school boy bragged about drug trafficking

An ex-private school boy busted for using encrypted apps and social media to traffic wholesale illicit drugs, boasted about selling “kilograms” of MDMA weekly, a court has heard.

Ben Foran leaving court in Brisbane. Picture: Liam Kidston

A greedy ex-private school boy who was busted for using encrypted apps and social media to traffic in wholesale amounts of cocaine, MDMA and ketamine by cops targeting serious organised crime, boasted about selling “kilograms” of MDMA each week, a court has heard.

Benjamin James Foran, from Carseldine in Brisbane’s north, was in the Supreme Court in Brisbane on Wednesday before Justice Lincoln Crowley where he was given a five-year sentence wholly suspended for drug trafficking.

The ex-electrical apprentice pleaded guilty to 24 drug-related charges including one count of drug trafficking, as well as multiple counts of supply and possession.

Justice Crowley said Foran predominantly supplied to other drug dealers in south-east Queensland, but there was also evidence that Foran “tried to open up other supply routes in Cairns and Melbourne” but there was no evidence this actually occurred.

The court heard he was selling drugs via encrypted apps Signal, Threema and Telegram, as well as via social media apps Instagram and Snapchat and he was supplying some drugs on credit.

Ben Foran. Picture: Liam Kidston

Crown prosecutor Carla Ahern submitted that Foran was aged only 18 and living a “lavish lifestyle” while trafficking in the drugs over seven months between April 12 and November14, 2021.

He was purchasing the MDMA and ketamine from suppliers who had imported the drugs from overseas or elsewhere in Australia, Justice Crowley said.

He was selling high quality “pearl” cocaine for up to $14,000 an ounce, and ketamine for up to $3,600 for an ounce.

The exact amount of profit was unable to be identified, but Justice Crowley said Foran’s motive for selling drugs was to “make money”, the court heard.

The court heard that Foran, now aged 22, a former student at prestigious Anglican school St Paul’s at Bald Hills, was selling drugs to other dealers when police raided his Carseldine home on November 3, 2021 and found him there in possession of large quantities of drugs.

Foran, who grew up in Eatons Hill, started using MDMA, cocaine and ketamine to “chase a positive high” when he became “involved in” the Brisbane “nightclub scene”, increasing to using the drug ketamine daily, until his substance-abuse habit was costing up to $2500 per week.

After he left his electrical apprenticeship he started selling vintage clothes at markets for a couple of years, then last year he began a wholesale clothing business, which is his current job.

The court heard that he made 105 drug supplies to seven customers during the seven month trafficking period, of which 18 were “actual” supplies of drugs and the remainder were acting in preparation to sell where actual sales may not have occurred.

Summarising the crown case, Justice Crowley said the prosecution proceeded on the basis that it was “likely” that he supplied drugs more than 105 times, because he “made comments about selling kilograms of MDMA each week in addition to cocaine and ketamine sales” but there was no actual evidence of any other amounts sold by Foran beyond what he was charged with.

Ben Foran. Picture: Liam Kidston

Ms Ahern submitted that Foran was living a “lavish lifestyle” from his drug proceeds but defence barrister Tony Kimmins submitted that his client “had very little to show for it” even though he was selling drugs in quantities which were “not to be sneezed at”.

Foran came from a loving Christian family and his friends and family were shocked by his arrest, the court heard.

His parents were in court for his sentencing, and Foran has been living at home with them while awaiting sentence.

References were tendered in court from past-teachers, family and friends and his doctor.

Drug trafficking carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison, and some of his supplying drug charges carry 20 year jail terms, Justice Crowley told Foran.

Justice Crowley said the suspended sentence was deserving because Foran was a youthful first time offender, and he accepted he was genuinely remorseful.

He was sentenced to 240 hours community service to be completed in a year, for 18 of the less-serious drugs charges.

For the charge of possession of 243.8g of pure MDMA within 739.2g of substance, he was sentenced to three years in prison, with immediate parole.

For the charge of possession of 11.2g of pure cocaine, he was sentenced to two years in prison, also with immediate parole.

For the possession of six white tablets containing the steroid stanozolol, other tablets containing the steroid oxandralone and 32.4g of ketamine in five bags of white paper, he was given six months’ in prison.

All of the sentences are to be served concurrently.

Foran’s offending was identified by an operation run by the Queensland Police’s organised crime and gangs squad.

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