Elwood builder Jackson Jansen jailed for trafficking and importing cocaine via mail

A young builder has been exposed as a key player in an international drug racket that smuggled cocaine.

A young Elwood builder who helped international drug traffickers import cocaine from Canada via envelopes has been jailed.

Jackson Jansen, 24, was sentenced in the County Court on Friday to a minimum of two and a half years’ jail after pleading guilty to charges including trafficking a marketable quantity of cocaine.

The court heard Jansen was “a tool” being used by international cocaine traffickers when he committed the crimes in 2019 and 2020.

Jansen rented 10 different post office boxes that were large enough to fit unfolded A4 envelopes using the alias Benjamin Goodwin in 2019.

Drug traffickers in Canada sent 16 different A4 envelopes addressed to the post boxes between May and September 2019.

However, federal police intercepted the packages before they could reach Jansen’s hands.

The court heard each envelope contained about 100g of cocaine in a vacuum-sealed flat pack that was stored between two sheets of cardboard.

The total weight of the powdered substance police intercepted, which varied in cocaine purity, was 1.61kg.

Jansen was then under police surveillance when undercover officers watched him post a package of laundry capsules, which had 418g of cocaine hidden inside, to Queensland on April 14 last year.

Just over a week later police eyeballed Jansen post an Esky to Queensland, which had 470.5g of cocaine hidden under a fake floor.

Jansen, who also pleaded guilty to importing cocaine, was arrested on April 28 last year.

The dealer was bailed to a residential rehabilitation clinic in Shepparton in January this year but was back in custody less than two months later after he violated the clinic’s rules.

The court heard there was no evidence that Jansen, who had no criminal history, had been involved in organising the importation of the cocaine.

But Judge Frances Dalziel pointed out that it was people like Jansen who were crucial to drug traffickers’ success.

Jansen’s lawyer told the court his client, who suffered from anxiety, substance abuse disorder and OCD had been involved in the trafficking to fund his substantial drug addiction.

It was heard the Queensland-raised man was engaged at the time of his arrest but that his relationship had broken down since.

Judge Dalziel noted Jansen’s plea indicated remorse, as well a letter he wrote to the court.

Jansen, who had spent 335 days on remand, was jailed for a maximum of four years.

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