Ferdi Cevic: Melbourne to Mildura drug run thwarted

After a one-hour flight and 550km bus trip around Victoria, plans to move $15,000 worth of drugs fell apart at the last stop for this Mildura man.

Police were waiting when a man left a V/Line bus in Mildura.

A trip to Melbourne to secure an estimated $15,000 worth of drugs ended in a stint behind bars for a Mildura man.

Ferdi Cevic, 33, on Monday at Mildura Magistrates’ Court pleaded guilty to trafficking methylamphetamine and possession charges.

A police prosecutor told the court Cevic boarded a Rex plane from Mildura to Melbourne on November 23, 2020.

After arriving just after 10am, he was said to have made contact with a supplier.

At 6.25pm, he boarded a V/Line bus at Southern Cross Station.

But when the bus arrived in Mildura, police were waiting.

The court heard a small zip-lock bag containing a white crystal substance was found in a black bag around Cevic’s neck.

It was found to be 1.9g of methylamphetamine.

Further searching found more zip-lock bags in a “false base” of Cevic’s drink bottle.

Police said 31.51g of methylamphetamine, 30.2g of cannabis and 1.62g of cocaine were seized, with an estimated street value of about $15,000.

Cevic told police he had secured the drugs in Coburg and intended to leave them in two Mildura locations, on Seventh St and near the Arts Centre.

Cevic’s lawyer said Cevic had previously left Mildura to live with a relative in Melbourne after becoming involved with drug use as a teen.

A loss of licence caused Cevic to lose his job in Melbourne and a relationship ended soon after.

His lawyer said this prompted him to return to Mildura while feeling “embarrassment and sadness”.

It was then in early 2020 that Cevic became involved with “negative peer influences”.

The lawyer said Cevic had been open with police, making frank admissions.

“He’s the author of his own demise,” the lawyer said.

Magistrate Michael Coghlan said he took into account Cevic’s guilty plea, lack of prior history and there being no evidence of Cevic being involved in the sale of the drugs.

Mr Coghlan said a term of imprisonment was warranted.

Cevic was convicted and sentenced to 23 days in prison, which he had already served, on the trafficking charge.

He was also given 12-month community corrections order requiring 120 hours of unpaid community work.

On charges of possessing cocaine and cannabis, he was fined $500 without conviction.

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