Broadbeach Waters man charged with trafficking after packages allegedly found with cannabis
Four people have been arrested and one man charged with trafficking after police allegedly found 66kg of cannabis in boxes at Australia Post’s Gold Coast distribution centre.
Gold Coast
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FOUR people have been arrested after police found 66kg of cannabis in boxes at the city’s Australia Post distribution centre this week.
Julien Michael Alt was granted bail in the Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday after being charged with trafficking dangerous drugs, possessing property obtained from trafficking and possession of cannabis.
He was charged after Queensland police and Australian Border Force officers were called to the Molendinar Australia Post premises on February 21. A box weighing 19.25kg had been posted to the Gold Coast from South Australia.
Police said sealed bags containing cannabis were inside the box. The bags were individually marked with codes.
Officers found three more boxes — weighing between 18-19kg — that were allegedly sent from the same post office in Fulham Gardens, Adelaide to the Gold Coast.
Police said the total cannabis found in the boxes came to 66kg. It had an estimated street value of about $200,000.
Two of the packages were intended for a property at Hollywell and addressed to a man named Allan Gates, the court was told on Tuesday.
Two of the boxes were addressed to a Nerang property.
When the boxes were delivered to the Hollywell address the next day, after police were already aware of their contents and conducting surveillance on the house, a man named David Wilson allegedly accepted the goods using the name Allan Gates.
During a raid on the property later that day police allege they found Alt and two other people.
Alt was arrested at the back of the house, stuffing cash into brown paper bags, police allege.
Detectives say they seized almost $110,000 from the property, alleged to be the proceeds of trafficking.
Wilson has also been charged with trafficking.
His partner Lauren Davey was arrested but released without charge.
A police search was later executed on Alt’s home at Broadbeach Waters, where police say they found a sheet of paper that detailed the same codes that were written on the bags of cannabis found in the boxes, a boarding pass for a return trip to Adelaide this month, a detailed business plan and a bong.
Another person, Michelle Seckold, has been charged with possession of dangerous drugs in relation to the two other boxes found at the Australia Post depot.
All three people charged were granted bail.
Alt’s defence solicitor, Michael Gatenby, said his client was released on a number of conditions, including that he report to police.
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