Kim Quoc Nguyen facing drugs charges over Mt Maria marijuana farm

A Qld court has heard one of the accused workers from the $60 million Mount Maria drug operation has held a string of menial jobs before his alleged involvement with the marijuana farm.

A man accused of working as a “crop sitter” at a $60 million drug farm was granted bail after assuring the court he had been living on legitimate sources of income from jobs including a chicken boner, kitchen hand, baker and cleaner at a Sydney nail salon.

The bail application for Kim Quoc Nguyen, who is facing charges of possessing and producing dangerous drugs after being observed tending to cannabis plants grown at the Mount Maria drug farm, had been adjourned on November 27 due to the lack of a personal affidavit in his submission detailing his activities since arriving in Australia from Vietnam in 2013.

At the resumption of Mr Nguyen’s bail application hearing in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Friday, his defence barrister Remy Kurz told the court his client’s affidavit tendered earlier in the week overcame the objections raised in the previous hearing.

These included that Mr Nguyen was a flight risk due to not having had any legitimate work in Australia, and a perceived 10-year age gap between he and his girlfriend who had promised $30,000 surety for Nguyen.

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In his affidavit Mr Nguyen stated that he came to Australia when he was 18 years old on a student visa in 2013, intending to go to university but deciding to work full-time after getting married in 2014.

In a statement tendered to court, Kim Quoc Nguyen listed the many jobs he had worked since arriving in Australia on a student visa from Vietnam in 2013.

Mr Nguyen stated he has worked in various menial jobs in Sydney including as a kitchen hand at a Vietnamese restaurant, a baker, a chicken boner at a chicken factory, a packing order worker at a flower and food processing company, and a cleaner and maintenance worker at a beauty and nail salon.

While working at the beauty and nail salon Mr Nguyen met his current partner, with whom he began his relationship in 2020 when his ex-wife ended their marriage.

Mr Nguyen said his partner was 30 years old, not 18 years old as had been understood by the police prosecutor at the first bail application hearing, and he did not want to return to Vietnam but wished to continue living with his girlfriend in their home in the Brisbane suburb of Inala.

Police prosecutor Sgt Carl Spargo opposed the bail application, saying that while Mr Nguyen had asserted that he had worked in legitimate occupations there were no tax returns included in his submission that would serve as evidence.

Sgt Spargo noted the seriousness of the offending with which Mr Nguyen was being charged in working on the drug farm, noting that large drug operations were becoming more prevalent around Wide Bay.

“It’s a very serious matter, it’s becoming somewhat of a prevalent matter around this jurisdiction as well,” Sgt Spargo said.

Magistrate John McInnes agreed that Mr Nguyen’s submission was not supported by evidence of tax returns, but noted police investigators had not provided any evidence he had not filed a tax return, or been involved in criminal activity prior to allegedly working on the Mount Maria drug farm.

Police will allege surveillance and video footage showed Mr Nguyen working as a 'crop sitter' at the $60m drug farm at Mount Maria near Gladstone.

Mr McInnes granted bail on conditions that Mr Nguyen reside at a nominated Inala address reporting to authorities two days per week, not have any contact with 12 other suspects linked to the drug operation, surrender his passport and be banned from international travel.

A $10,000 surety was also imposed, payable by Mr Nguyen’s partner.

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Mr Nguyen’s matter will next be heard in a mention hearing at Bundaberg Magistrates Court on January 23, 2024, with his appearance required.

He has been charged with producing dangerous drugs schedule 2 drug quantity of or exceeding schedule 3, possessing dangerous drugs schedule 2 drug quantity of or exceeding schedule 3, possessing dangerous drugs, possessing anything used in the commission of crime defined in part 2, possessing anything for use in the commission of crime defined in part 2 and possessing utensils or pipes etc for use.

Originally published as Kim Quoc Nguyen facing drugs charges over Mt Maria marijuana farm