Teruna Purotu: Cocaine dealer busted in Bondi drug bust

A magistrate has slammed a tradie’s drug dealing as a “scar on the community” after he told a court he turned to selling coke to stay afloat after losing his job.

A fencer who lost his job during the Covid pandemic has been slammed by a magistrate for selling drugs in Bondi to make money, which involved him being busted by police with a bag of coke down his undies.

Teruna Purotu, 32, from Punchbowl, was convicted on Wednesday (June 16) for selling the party drug in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

Purotu was arrested alongside co-accused Joel Baxter, 32, when police watched another man hop into their car right next to Hotel Ravesis in Bondi during the evening of Saturday, February 27.

Teruna Purotu (centre) outside court.

The agreed facts stated the man got out of the Mazda 3 a few seconds later and police stopped him and found two bags (1.4g) of cocaine in his possession.

He told police he bought the bags for $600 from Purotu.

Police stopped the car nearby and searched Purotu and his co-accused. Purotu had $600 in his possession and a bag (0.7g) of cocaine which was found stuffed down his undies.

He initially told police he had withdrawn the cash from an ATM but later pleaded guilty to deal with proceeds of crime, supply a prohibited drug, and possess a prohibited drug.

Purotu fronted Waverley Local Court this week for sentencing and was convicted, fined $1100 and received a conditional release order for 12 months.

He was sentenced at Waverley Local Court.

Magistrate Ross Hudson said cocaine dial-a-dealers were sadly prevalent across the eastern suburbs.

“The prevalence in the eastern suburbs is a concern and that is encapsulated by yet another case before the court of supply.”

Magistrate Hudson slammed Purotu for his behaviour and labelled drug dealing “a scar on our community” which had destructive and far-reaching impacts.

The court heard Purotu had been through a difficult time prior to the offence including the death of two family members and his losing his fencing job during the Covid pandemic.

His co-accused, Baxter, is due in court later this month. He has also been charged with supply and deal with proceeds of crime over the incident but has pleaded not guilty.