Mongol’s national sergeant-at-arms Mark Balsillie to stand trial on drug trafficking charges

Police hope six weeks’ worth of secretly recorded conversations will be enough to take Toby Mitchell’s Mongols bikie mate off Melbourne’s streets.

Mark Balsillie (centre), pictured here with Jake King (left) and Toby Mitchell(right), is facing drug trafficking charges.

A top bikie enforcer has been committed to stand trial on drug trafficking charges.

Mark Balsillie, 36, who was last week revealed as the Mongol’s new national sergeant-at-arms, on Monday stated he would fight charges he trafficked and possessed cocaine in July last year.
The 36-year-old also pleaded not guilty possessing pre-filled syringes of testosterone and growth hormones and handling three luxury cars – including a Lamborghini and Mercedes Benz - which were suspected of being proceeds of crime between July 2019 and July 2020.

The Melbourne Magistrates’ Court heard police raided Mr Balsillie’s Melbourne apartment on July 31 last year where they allegedly found ziplock bags containing cocaine.

Detective Senior Constable Catherine Liddy said investigators had gathered six weeks’ worth of secretly recorded conversations between the bikie and an associate in the lead up to his early morning arrest.

Mark Balsillie is a close ally of Toby Mitchell

Balsillie has been unveiled as the national enforcer of the feared Mongols gang.

But his lawyer, Ian Hill QC, said no drug trafficking paraphernalia, including scales, cutting compounds or vacuum sealing machines, were found in his client’s home and argued the prosecution’s case was based on “speculation”.

Following Monday’s committal, Magistrate Hayley Bate found there was enough evidence for the Brighton bikie to face a jury in the County Court.

Mr Hill opposed prosecutor Andrew Sprague’s attempts to ban Mr Balsillie from associating with his Mongol mates while he remains on bail ahead of his trial.

“To embark on some sort of social engineering in terms of bail conditions, is not appropriate,” Mr Hill said.

Ms Bate agreed and denied the request.

It comes as the Herald Sun last week revealed the newly promoted bikie had been an influential member of the Mongols in recent years and is a close ally of the OMCG’s high-profile president Toby Mitchell.

Mr Balsillie will face the County Court for a directions hearing at a later date.