Bright Zhao in drug house allegedly connected to Canterbury IED
Police investigating an IED explosion in Canterbury uncovered a drughouse operating in the heart of Sydney. On raiding the property they found baby-faced university student Bright Zhao inside.
Central Sydney
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A university student found inside a drughouse, which was uncovered following investigations into an IED explosion, has been convicted of drug supply.
On August 14, just a day after police arrested nine people over an explosion at a Canterbury home, tactical police raided a unit on Sydney’s George St.
Inside was 21-year-old man Bright Bang Tong Zhao, who the court heard confessed to helping another man deliver cannabis leaf, packaged inside envelopes, to customers.
Police had zeroed on the Sydney drug house after seizing the mobile phone of alleged dealer Joshua Lowe, of Malabar, which revealed it was the unit used by an upline drug supplier.
Lowe, 19, has been remanded in custody for allegedly directing a criminal group involved in the Canterbury IED explosion and drug supply offences.
He hasn’t entered any pleas to the charges.
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Zhao told police, when inside the unit filled with ice pipes, bongs, resealable bags, MDMA and cocaine, he would help the upline supplier deal drugs.
The agreed facts state Zhao’s mobile phone seized by police showed the unemployed university student was “actively involved” in drug deals, using a Facebook Messenger account in the name of ‘Bright Zhao’. The Ultimo man told police he created the account with the upline supplier to use together.
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In Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday, Zhao’s lawyer asked on his client’s behalf for the young man to be spared a criminal conviction which triggered Magistrate Carolyn Huntsman to snap back “you still don’t get how criminal you are”.
“You are a criminal … and you will be punished for your behaviour”, she said. “You were present and you knew what was going on. You gave envelopes (of cannabis) to paying customers.
“I don’t know if it was the easy money … I don’t know if it was because your friends were doing it. I have no doubt you feel great shame”.
Zhao was convicted of assisting a drug premises and taking part in the supply of 300g of cannabis leaf and sentenced to a 14-month intensive correction order, with the condition he abstains from illegal drugs.