New details of alleged 200kg cocaine racket revealed in Brisbane court

A 21-year-old man was arrested last April after he allegedly attempted to transport 232.54kg of cocaine from an airfreight consignment to an Airbnb in Strathpine.

Arrest photos supplied by QPS.

New details of how a Victorian man, accused of organised crime links, allegedly attempted to store over 200kg of cocaine at a Brisbane Airbnb have been revealed in court.

Bailey Slater, 21, was arrested last April after he allegedly attempted to transport 232.54kg of cocaine from an airfreight consignment to an Airbnb in Strathpine.

Brisbane Magistrates’ Court heard on Tuesday how Slater was now wanted by Victorian Police for fraud charges and alleged ties to African crime syndicates in Melbourne.

Slater, who has now been in custody for over 14 months, appeared in court via video link on Tuesday for an unsuccessful bail application.

Commonwealth prosecutor Tian Behenna emphasised the potential risk Slater posed of failing to appear at court in Queensland if he were allowed to return to his family’s home in Victoria.

“The Crown case is strong, and because of the strength of the Crown case, that exacerbates the unacceptable risk of the defendant failing to return to Queensland,” Mr Behenna said.

The prosecution allege Slater had attended Wallace International Warehouse on April 12, 2024 to collect a consignment containing 232.54kg of cocaine stored in solid rectangular blocks.

Mr Behenna said the consignment had been substituted prior to Slater’s arrival, and Slater allegedly took the substituted cocaine to an Airbnb he had booked at Strathpine.

Audio surveillance of the premises allegedly detected sounds of plastic being unwrapped, a box being opened, and the substituted blocks of cocaine allegedly hitting the floor, Magistrate Peter Saggers said.

He said when police arrived, they allegedly located the Toyota Hiace that Slater had driven to collect the consignment in the garage, with the substituted drugs still stored inside the car and garage floor.

Mr Saggers said one of the blocks had been partially crushed, in what the prosecution allege was an attempt to test the substance.

Bailey Slater. Picture: QPS

Mr Behenna said Slater had allegedly fled prior to police searching the Airbnb but was arrested shortly after.

Slater is charged with a single count of attempting to possess commercial quantities of unlawfully imported border controlled drugs.

His barrister Patrick Wilson emphasised his client’s young age, lack of any criminal history, and the significant time he had already spent on remand.

Mr Wilson said Slater was not said to be an “organiser” of the cocaine’s arrival, but was alleged to have been doing the groundwork.

Mr Saggers noted Slater was now wanted in Victoria, where he proposed to live with his family, for alleged credit card offences of obtaining property by deception.

“(Victoria Police) allege also that you’re involved with people or crime syndicates in Victoria,” he told Slater.

The court heard Slater had originally proffered a bail address on the Gold Coast, but it had been flagged for alleged criminal links.

Mr Wilson explained this was because Slater’s only contacts in Queensland were the ones he had met while on remand.

He said there was also no suggestion from Victorian Police that they intended to charge Slater over the alleged organised crime links in Victoria.

Mr Saggers found Slater to be an unacceptable risk of failing to appear and denied his application for bail.

Slater was remanded in custody, and his case was committed to the Brisbane Supreme Court for trial on a date to be set.