Hai Lam: Victoria St Richmond heroin dealer jailed after doing business with cop

A foolish heroin peddler only had himself to blame after walking straight into a sophisticated police set-up in Richmond.

A heroin dealer has been caged following an undercover police investigation. Picture: Generic

A desperate heroin dealer has been caged after attempting to sell the drug to an undercover police officer in Richmond.

Hai Lam, 46, was jailed for three months in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday after he was busted on April 8.

The court heard Lam was at Abbotsford’s Bakers Arms Hotel when he was approached by a covert operative about 10.40am.

The officer gained Lam’s trust before the pair walked to a nearby Richmond street where the officer handed Lam $100.

Lam then walked to Richmond’s housing commission flats on Elizabeth St before returning and handing the officer .2 grams of heroin.

CCTV recorded the dud deal and Lam’s subsequent arrest.

The prosecution said the bust was part of a larger undercover investigation into drug dealing in the area.

Lam’s lawyer Matthew Neilson said his client received free drugs in exchange for making deals.

Lam had a “long history” of drug related offences dating back to 1996 including priors for trafficking and possession, the court heard.

“He was basically funding his own drug habit by trafficking on this occasion,” Mr Neilson said.

“This is street level (dealing), not on the high end of the scale.”

Lam, who appeared via video link from Port Phillip Prison, pleaded guilty to trafficking heroin and was jailed for 90 days.

Magistrate Luisa Bazzani reckoned Lam’s 48 days spent in custody as time served.