Drugs for pizzas: Police reveal curious deal as part of ongoing investigation

AN ACCUSED drug dealer who allegedly swapped pills for pizzas was helping build houses for police when he was ­arrested.

A detective was at a loss to explain why Hermansson allegedly swapped drugs for pizzas.

AN ACCUSED drug dealer who allegedly swapped pills for pizzas was helping build houses for police when he was ­arrested.

Brock Dean Hermansson, 28, was refused bail last month following a lengthy drug operation led by Barrier Local Area Command detectives.

The officers allege that Hermansson, of Broken Hill, was supplying ecstasy, cannabis, steroids and the prescription drug Xanax, in some cases doing so in ­exchange for boxes of pizza.

According to a statement of facts, he was still under investigation between June and July when he took up work as a subcontractor in the nearby town of Wilcannia, building houses for the NSW Police.

“It’s a bit like trying to figure out why Jack swapped the family cow for a handful of beans.”

While there it is alleged he continued supplying drugs to other workers on the site.

When detectives raided his home on August 25 they allegedly found a resealable bag with 300 orange-coloured tablets hidden inside a safe, which was disguised as a large book.

A torch that doubled as a taser was also allegedly located, ­delivering a shock to the ­officer who picked it up.

Detective Inspector Mick Stoltenberg, crime manager at Barrier LAC, said Hermansson was one of several targets being investigated by Strike Force Croft.

“We most certainly do expect further ­arrests,” he told The Sunday Telegraph last week.

He was at a loss to explain why Hermansson allegedly swapped drugs for pizzas, a seemingly unfair trade which had been picked up over the course of the investigation.

“It’s a bit like trying to figure out why Jack swapped the family cow for a handful of beans,” he said.

Hermansson’s arrest follows a recent series of successful but unrelated drug investigations within the command which, due to its border location, is used frequently as a trafficking corridor.

In April two men were pulled over in a van holding more than 10kg of cannabis and 400g of MDMA and amphetamine. A month later police stopped a Holden sedan for a random breath test and found 1.6kg of cannabis in its boot.

“Change your number, mate, otherwise you’ll go down with the rest of these c…s.”

The Rebels outlaw motorcycle gang recently tried to establish a foothold in the Broken Hill area but were forced out by proactive policing.

A mining town with a population of 20,000, Broken Hill is a lucrative drug market due to its remoteness. Individual sales are priced higher than those in capital cities.

In Hermansson’s case, police will allege he sold individual pills for about $50. In Sydney, ecstasy pills usually range between $20 and $30.

The facts state that about midway through the investigation, Hermansson was advised by an associate that his phone might be being tapped.

The person allegedly said: “Someone is being tapped since day one, change your number, mate, otherwise you’ll go down with the rest of these c … s.”

Police allege that Hermansson walked into a Telstra store the next day and changed his phone number, which was subsequently intercepted by police. The matter will return to court in October.

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