County Court: Wayne Doble returns to court after jury returns guilty verdict to drug trafficking charges

A Cranbourne South drug rehab centre manager built a secret lab behind a fake wall to make meth and MDMA, and recruited “vulnerable people” to help in the operation.

Wayne Doble has pleaded guilty in the County Court on November 13 to three charges related to drug trafficking after being caught up in a drug operation linked to a rehabilitation centre.

A serial drug dealer who managed a substance abuse rehabilitation centre in Melbourne’s southeastern suburbs had a secret lab behind a fake wall to manufacture meth and MDMA.

Wayne Doble, 65, appeared in the County Court on November 13 after being found guilty at trial to two charges of trafficking a commercial quantity of a drug of dependence, one charge of being an occupier of land to be used in drug trafficking and one charge of possession of substances, materials and equipment to traffic a drug of dependence.

The court heard Doble, of Cranbourne South, was the property manager of Horn St drug rehabilitation centre Wellbeing Planet in 2019, which had been previously run as a brothel.

Doble and three co-offenders had been busted taking part in a major drug trafficking operation, where meth and MDMA were being manufactured and distributed across two properties in Wallan and Elsternwick between April and December 2019.

The court heard Doble had been in charge of the Elsternwick property where a fake wall had been erected to conceal a drug laboratory making MDMA.

Doble was found guilty by a jury earlier this year after the trial revealed evidence of his involvement in the operation, including CCTV footage of him in the concealed lab.

Crown prosecutor David Brustman KC argued Doble’s moral culpability was high, as he had a financial incentive to be involved in the operation, and had helped to recruit “vulnerable people”.

“These were vulnerable people, ostensibly there to be treated for drug addiction,” Mr Brustman said.

“They were paying large amounts of money for that purpose.”

The court heard a residential place at Wellbeing Planet cost up to $14,000 per month.

“It was a sophisticated set-up, it had drug and manufacturing paraphernalia,” Mr Brustman said.

“It wasn’t a second form chemistry lab.”

The court heard Doble had previously been caught trafficking cocaine, where he was convicted and imprisoned for four years.

Mr Brustman said Doble was a “persistent drug dealer”.

“He gets sentenced, and a fairly significant one, then offends again while he is on parole,” he said. “He’s indiscriminately into drugs and trafficking.”

Judge Rosemary Carlin said she wanted some time to go over the evidence and submissions.

Doble will return to court later in the year for sentencing.