Aaron Yaffe, 49, of Collaroy: Charged with supplying 1kg of ‘ice’ and possessing handgun.
When police raided a car park under a block of flats on the northern beaches they allegedly found a 1kg stash of ‘ice’ and a semi-automatic pistol, Manly Court’s been told.
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A man who allegedly had more than a kilo of the illegal drug “crystal meth” stashed in a car park under a block of flats on the northern beaches, was refused bail in Manly Court.
Aaron Yaffe, 49, also allegedly had an unlicensed semi-automatic pistol in his possession when police raided his Collaroy home, the court heard on Wednesday.
Mr Yaffe, charged with one count of supply prohibited drug (not less than a commercial quantity), was applying for bail after being held in custody since January 10.
Magistrate Robyn Denes was told that police had CCTV allegedly showing Mr Yaffe visiting a storage cupboard in a communal area of the underground car park on 40 occasions.
The police prosecutor, who opposed bail, said that detectives had mobile phone intercepts that recorded Mr Yaffe allegedly referring to the storage area as the “special stash spot”.
Mr Yaffe had been the subject of an extensive police surveillance operation, the prosecutor told the court and that a “significant amount ” of methylamphetamine — a total of 1.04 kgs — was allegedly found by police, with a search warrant, in the storage cupboard. The drugs were divided into a number of separate bags.
“(There is) an overwhelmingly strong prosecution case,” the prosecutor said.
He was also charged with one count each of possess unauthorised pistol — a self-loading Ceska Zbrojovka handgun; acquire pistol subject to firearms prohibition order and; not keep firearm safely.
Mr Yaffe’s barrister, Allan Goldsworthy, argued that his client should be released on bail and placed under “house arrest” because it could be more than two years before Mr Jaffe faces a potential trial before a jury.
He also said that Mr Jaffe would not receive adequate treatment for his lifelong schizophrenia.
Mr Goldsworthy also pleaded that Mr Yaffe granted bail because the evidence against him, as presented in the police facts sheet, was circumstantial and there was no evidence of his client possessing drugs.
His barrister told the court that Mr Yaffe’s elderly mother was prepared to put up a $200,000 cash surety to ensure he turned up to court if granted bail.
When refusing bail Magistrate Denes said she agreed with the prosection that there was a strong case against Mr Yaffe, based on the facts presented. She said he had “lengthy criminal history involving drugs”.
Mr Yaffe, who is yet to enter any pleas, will be back in Manly Local Court on March 10 for mention.
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