Anti-drugs campaigning MP Dan Tehan’s nephew charged with drug trafficking

Federal MP Dan Tehan’s high-profile 26-year-old nephew has been nabbed in a police sting to detect drugs being distributed in the mail just months after he told his constituents to “dob in a dealer”.

Federal MP Dan Tehan has been a strong anti-drugs campaigner, but his nephew is now facing 25 years in jail. Picture: Sam Mooy/Getty Images

THE nephew of an anti-drugs campaigning federal MP has faced court charged with drug trafficking.

In a major embarrassment for the Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Dan Tehan, his 26-year-old nephew Thomas Cameron has been charged following a police sting that was cracking down on drugs being distributed via Australia Post.

A high profile footballer with VFL club Port Melbourne and a Richmond real estate executive, Mr Cameron has spent the past month on remand after allegedly being caught on CCTV mailing a parcel containing almost 900g of MDMA.

He was granted bail to a rehab centre on Monday after his parents forked out $24k for treatment.

He faces 11 charges, including trafficking MDMA and cocaine, possessing those drugs as well as ketamine, xanax, oxycodone and anabolic steroids, and dealing with $950 believed to be the proceeds of crime.

Thomas Cameron, nephew of Dan Tehan MP and a VFL player and real estate agent, was granted bail on drug trafficking charges. Picture: Supplied

Just last year Cameron’s uncle Tehan was telling his constituents in the Western District electorate of Wannon (former prime minister Malcolm Fraser’s old seat) to “dob in a dealer”, encouraging them to actively contact police with even the slightest information on drug traffickers.

And not just the big fish, Dan wanted the small fries head on a plate too.

“Every dealer, no matter how large or small their enterprise is connected to organised crime,” Tehan soapboxed last year after announcing funding to the then Morrison Government’s Dob-in-a-Dealer campaign.

“Illegal drugs cause untold despair and damage to families and individuals.”

When contacted by Page 13 this week about his nephew’s court appearance, Tehan said in a statement he was providing him with “love and support”.

“My nephew has been facing mental health challenges for a number of years and our whole family is providing him with love and support at this difficult time,” Tehan said.

The Dob in a Dealer campaign is advertised on Dan Tehan’s page

Mr Cameron, of Armadale, who is a vice-captain for Port Melbourne, was at the centre of a police sting investigation called Operation Vitreus, which scans mail for drugs sent through Australia Post.

Just a month prior to the raid, police were called to South Yarra hotspot, The Emmerson nightclub in August and found Cameron “unconscious on the dancefloor”.

An ambulance was called with “white powder” found under his nose.

The court was told this week police detected a parcel containing a heat sealed plastic bag with brown crystals, found to be 895g of MDMA, on July 12, 2023.

Tracking the express post stickers that were purchased at Richmond East post office the day before, police reviewed CCTV where they spotted a man in “business attire” pull up in an Audi and pay $50 cash for an envelope and stickers.

He was then seen driving to an apartment in Armadale where he emerged 30 minutes later in a change of clothes with a “sealed and bulky envelope” that he put in the back seat of his car and drove to a post box on Chapel St, Prahran.

Dan Tehan during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Det Leading Sen Con Zachary Smith told the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday that Mr Cameron could be seen pulling his jumper down to cover his hands and prevent forensic material getting in the envelope, which he put in the post box and drove away.

Two months later police raided Cameron’s home and found $950 in cash, 5g of cocaine, 30 testosterone tablets, 0.8g MDMA and other prescription medications along with a set of scales.

Also a “tick list” indicating drug sales and a large quantity of deal bags, with phone searches showing encrypted texts dealing with a drug of dependence.

The court was told Mr Cameron lived alone in a rented property paid for by his parents, Richard and Kathryn, and had a steady job as a sales and leasing executive at Richmond’s Teska & Carson real estate.

Police opposed bail, fearing Mr Cameron could continue using and trafficking drugs. “From what we’ve found in the apartment … the accused will continue to use drugs … trafficking drugs,” police said.

“There’s obviously a strong concern to the welfare of the public, we’re talking 895g alone for this alleged charge.”

David Hallowes SC, for Mr Cameron, said his client had no priors, came from a “good background with family support” and there was a position available in the Arrow Health program at Woodend.

“This is a man who for the first time has had a taste of custody; it’s a much bigger wake up-call than anything else that he might have had over the time, for a man from his background, from the family he comes from, to have been in custody for over a month is a significant wakeup call.”

Police said Mr Cameron faced a maximum 25 years jail.

Magistrate Stephen Ballek ruled that “despite the serious charges” Mr Cameron would be granted bail to enter the rehab program.

“I am confident you will comply, I’m sure the last month has been a very difficult time for you given your background.”

The court heard after the 90 day rehab program, the accused drug trafficker could return to court to seek an amendment of his bail to live at his parents house.

He will return to Melbourne Magistrates’ Court for a committal mention on December 4.