Central Coast drug bust: 4kg ‘ice’, cocaine, $101k cash
Richard Lightfoot is already facing a ‘life’ sentence after he was allegedly stopped with a million dollars worth of drugs and $101,000 cash hidden in his car. And now he’s been slapped with two more charges.
Central Coast
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A Northern Beaches man charged after police allegedly found 4kg of ‘ice’, 1kg of cocaine and $101,000 cash hidden in a secret compartment in his car has been hit with two fresh charges.
Richard Lightfoot, 33, of Beacon Hill, faced Wyong Local Court yesterday where he was served with two more charges including trafficking a marketable quantity of cocaine and supplying a prohibited drug.
The Crown Prosecutor sought a lengthy adjournment, telling the court there could be further charges as police “dismantled evidence” and analysed the purity of the drugs seized.
Mr Lightfoot was arrested shortly after 12.40pm on June 4 at a car park on Wyong Rd, Mardi, where police allegedly found 4kg of MDMA, 1kg of cocaine and $101,000 cash stashed in a hidden compartment in the car’s floor.
The MDMA had an estimated potential street value of $720,000, while the cocaine had an estimated potential street value of $300,000.
He was taken to Wyong Police Station where he was charged with three counts of supplying a prohibited drug and knowingly deal with the proceeds of crime.
He was initially refused bail but his barrister Jack Tyler-Stott successfully applied for bail arguing Mr Lightfoot possibly had cancer and needed urgent exploratory surgery, he had an injured back and a gastroesophageal disorder.
In fresh charge sheets tendered to Wyong Local Court yesterday, police allege Mr Lightfoot trafficked a marketable quantity of cocaine shortly before 4.30pm on June 11.
The charge sheets also allege he supplied a prohibited drug shortly before midday the following day.
His charges came after detectives from the State Crime Command’s Organised Crime Squad established Strike Force Gilbulla in September 2017 to investigate the importation and supply of methylamphetamine.
In August 2018 strike force detectives seized 16kg of the drug ice, concealed in packaging containing bearings, addressed to a business at Terrigal.
The drugs had an estimated street value of $8 million.
Following the seizure police conducted six search warrants at properties in Berkeley Vale, Glenning Valley, Terrigal, Tuggerah and Wamberal.
A Terrigal man, 42, was arrested and charged with two counts of importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug.
Along with the drugs, police seized $300,000 cash, a conductive electric device, documentation, and other items relevant to the investigation.
He remains before the courts.
At Mr Lightfoot’s previous appearance at Wyong Local Court a magistrate ordered the identity of a key witness, which led to his arrest, be suppressed.
Mr Lightfoot returns to court in December.
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