Baha Naaman was found with drugs and ammo in his Mildura hotel room
A drug dealer who had come to Mildura to peddle his wares was busted by eagle-eyed police who found drugs concealed in a sleep apnoea machine in his hotel room.
Mildura
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A Sydney man’s trip to Mildura didn’t go the way he planned after police searched his hotel room and found drugs stashed in his sleep apnoea machine.
Baha Naaman, who lives with his mum in Yagoona, was busted with more than 80 grams of methylamphetamine and 32 grams of cannabis in November 2023.
Naaman was on Friday jailed for 11 months at the Mildura Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to charges including drug trafficking.
The court heard police observed Naaman and two associates driving south on Ontario Ave in Mildura on November 25 of last year.
Believing they were involved in drug trafficking, they intercepted the vehicle which Naaman was driving.
Police said one of Naaman’s associates threw a Ziploc bag out of the window of the vehicle and into the gutter which was found to contain methylamphetamine.
A hotel room key to room 15 of the Mildura Golf Resort was seized, along with a mobile phone when Naaman was arrested.
Along with drugs and ammunition, police also found a Qantas plane ticket in Naaman’s name when they searched the hotel room.
Police also found ammunition hidden in his sleep apnoea machine along with cannabis.
Following his arrest, Naaman gave a no comment interview to police, instead repeatedly requesting his solicitor.
Naaman appeared in court via video link from remand, sporting a large beard.
The court heard Naaman suffered from health issues including sleep apnoea, schizophrenia, asthma, depression and anxiety.
Magistrate Patrick Southey took Naaman’s health issues into account when sentencing him, and admonished him for the trafficking.
“It (meth) is a horrible, insidious drug that ruins lives,” Mr Southey said during sentencing.
He was fined a total of $936 on the cannabis and firearms charges.
With 202 days reckoned as time served, Naaman is due to be released in October.
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