Hung Yung Tran: Courier accused of drug supply granted bail

A courier who was stopped at the heavily policed Queensland border during the NSW Covid lockdown allegedly had 145kg of drugs with him when his vehicle was searched.

A Bankstown man accused of supplying 145kg of marijuana across state borders has been granted bail with strict conditions.

Hung Yung Tran, 49, applied for bail in Tweed Heads Local Court on Friday.

He was not required to appear.

Police allege they found 51 vacuum seal bags full of marijuana in a hot water system, a further 47 bags in a second hot water system and 82 inside a toolbox during a stop at the Queensland border on Griffith St on August 19, 2021.

They allege the weight of the bags reached a total just over 145kg.

It is further alleged police found a small knife in the van and various receipts relating to movements in Victoria, South Australia and Greater Sydney including a receipt from Lidcombe on August 11.

Police allege 145kg of cannabis was discovered on August 19, 2021, at a Queensland border checkpoint.

Tran faces charges of supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, having custody of a knife in a public place, not complying with a public health order and travelling from metropolitan Sydney to NSW outside area.

Defence lawyer Karl Brandon applied for bail on Friday, which was opposed by the prosecution on grounds they considered Tran was at risk of committing a serious offence and endangering the community.

The court heard if convicted, Tran could face up to 20 years in prison.

Mr Brandon told the court Tran had no NSW criminal history and limited, irrelevant South Australian history from 20 years ago.

He said there was an issue in the case as to whether Tran had knowledge of what he was transporting at the time, stating there was no forensic evidence such as DNA on the marijuana allegedly found.

Mr Brandon said the case was circumstantial but conceded his client drove the van as he was paid $2200 to transport goods to an address in Forest Lakes.

He told the court there would be delay in the case as police analysed a heavily encrypted phone which was not expected to be ready until June this year, 10 months after arrest, with the possibility of him serving too much time if convicted.

On release Mr Brandon said Tran would reside with an acceptable person in the Bankstown area who could provide a $20,000 surety.

Magistrate Annette Sinclair granted Tran bail on those conditions, as well as being of good behaviour, surrendering his passport and not applying for another or going to any international departure points, not leaving the state, a curfew between 10pm and 6am and reporting to Bankstown police three times a week.

The matter will next be before the court on March 18.