Alleged bikie associate Mark Buchan fronts Tweed court on drug charges
A man who police allege was part of an outlaw motorcycle gang’s commercial drug supply has been extradited to NSW to face serious charges.
Police & Courts
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A Logan man allegedly attached to an outlaw motorcycle gang has been arrested just days after being granted parole on unrelated charges.
Mark Buchan, 27, appeared in Tweed Heads Local Court on Friday to face three counts of supplying drugs in a commercial quantity.
According to a NSW Police statement, the Raptor Squad charged the alleged outlaw motorcycle gang associate after he was extradited from Queensland on Thursday.
Police said it came after an investigation was launched into the supply of illegal firearms and drugs in June 2018.
Represented by lawyer Ahmed Dib, Mr Buchan applied for bail in written submissions.
No pleas have been entered.
Magistrate Paul MacMahon relayed the history of the charges against Mr Buchan which came about on May 18, 2020, when a warrant was issued for his arrest by the Paramatta Local Court.
He said the supply charges related to events on October 1, 19 and 31 in 2018.
Prior to the warrant being issued Mr Buchan was remanded in custody for charges of burglary, stealing, break and enter, armed robbery in company with personal violence and receiving tainted property relating to incidents on April 21 and 22, 2019.
He was sentenced for a five-year suspended sentence and three years in jail with parole release on November 4, 2021.
Mr MacMahon said Mr Buchan had been out of jail for less than a fortnight when he was served a warrant on Wednesday and appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday before being extradited to NSW.
He said prosecutors objected to Mr Buchan being granted bail on Friday and had argued it was inevitable he would be sentenced to jail given his criminal history.
They also said Mr Buchan had previously failed to appear in court and had a significant drug dependence.
However Mr MacMahon noted Mr Buchan had been drug free since incarceration in April 2019, had completed relapse programs and had a health plan in place.
Mr MacMahon said an intensive corrections order was a possible outcome, particularly if Mr Buchan were to plead guilty.
“There has been a dramatic change in his outlook since he’s been in custody,” Mr MacMahon said.
He granted Mr Buchan bail on the conditions he live at a Springwood address, report to police Monday, Wednesday, Friday, not consume drugs or alcohol, surrender his passport and not apply for another one, and an acceptable person acknowledges he will comply with bail.
Mr Buchan’s matter was adjourned to February 18, 2022 with a brief of evidence to be served by January 28.
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