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Alleged Brisbane hotel drug deal foiled with 14.5kg cannabis, $103,000 cash
In an alleged failed drug deal, police found more than 10 kilograms of cannabis in a suitcase in a Brisbane hotel car park and seized more than $100,000 in cash from one of the hotel’s rooms.
South Australian resident David William John Gellvear, 38, faced a Brisbane court for the first time after he was arrested at the Novotel hotel in South Brisbane on Tuesday.
South Australian resident David Gellvear was granted bail and is free to return to his home state for now.Credit: Facebook
It will be alleged officers from Taskforce Sentry found Mr Gellvear and Queensland man Greg Suttie in the Novotel car park with a suitcase, which was found to contain 14.5 kilograms of cannabis.
It will also be alleged officers then searched Mr Gellvear’s room at the Novotel where they found $103,000 in cash.
He was charged with trafficking and possessing dangerous drugs, possessing property obtained from trafficking dangerous drugs and possessing anything used in the commission of a crime.
Mr Gellvear faced the Brisbane Arrests Court on Wednesday afternoon and applied for bail.
David Gellvear.Credit: Facebook
Defence lawyer Rebecca Mann said Mr Gellvear was an “upstanding citizen” and had no previous criminal history.
She said he lived in South Australia and had steady employment there with a fruit and vegetable delivery company.
Ms Mann also said her client had co-operated with police, including giving officers his phone. However, police will allege this was an encrypted Ciphr phone.
Magistrate Michael Quinn granted bail with the conditions that Mr Gellvear live in his home in the Adelaide suburb of Grange, report to his local Henley Beach Police Station twice a week, surrender his passport and have no contact with the co-accused.
Mr Gellvear’s case will go to the Brisbane Magistrates Court and be heard again on May 24.
Co-accused Mr Suttie appeared in the Brisbane Arrests Court on Tuesday and was also granted bail. His matter was adjourned to the Brisbane Magistrates Court on June 2.