Rockhampton drug trafficker Ian Robert Armstrong busted with meth, cocaine

A convicted trafficker who helped dump two bodies in a high-profile murder investigation has been convicted of a string of new crimes linked to tens of thousands in meth, cocaine, sex drugs and more.

Ian Robert Armstrong .

A convicted drug trafficker who has also carried out bomb hoax in his decades-long history of 21 sentences for 111 offences was back in court for his most recent crimes.

Ian Robert Armstrong, 39, gained a public profile when accused of being involved in the alleged murders of Rockhampton locals Chantal Barnett and Robert Martinez who went missing in 2013.

Elements of the region’s “seedy underbelly” were revealed during a trial in 2018 during which Armstrong and his co-accused ended up pleading guilty and being convicted of two counts of interfering with a corpse.

Last week, the long-term methamphetamines user returned to the same courtroom he’d sat in during the trial because he had not been able to sever ties to his drug habits, the Supreme Court heard.

Defence barrister Nicholas Brown said his client was capable and had proven he was able to stay away from illicit substances when he was not in custody.

He said during those drug free periods, Armstrong, who was now a grandfather, worked and performed well on parole.

Justice Graeme Crow said Armstrong had an appalling criminal history before he relapsed with possession of a commercial quantity of meth, twice, along with seven supplies of drugs and other drug related offences.

After receiving intelligence about a drug supply, police intercepted Armstrong walking near Glenmore Tavern at 10.40pm on December 31, 2023, and found him with $4150 which he claimed were proceeds of pokies winnings but that the prosecution said were the proceeds of drug sales as investigations revealed Armstrong’s version untrue.

A search of Armstrong’s motel room at the Glenmore Palms Hotel resulted in police locating Armstrong’s “party pack” which included 7.076 grams of pure meth in 9.246 grams of substance, 0.591 grams of cocaine, 2.647 grams of MDMA, two grams of marijuana, 12 suboxone strips, eight diazepam tablets, scales, glass pipe, straw and nine Viagra tablets.

The meth was worth between $1400-$7500.

Armstrong was charged and released on bail.

The next time Armstrong was busted with a large number of drugs was when police found him in another motel room booked by a female associate at the Zed Motels Tropical Gateway on Gladstone Road on February 10, 2024.

He had been in communication with the associate about drug supplies prior to the police raid where offers to pay for drugs with cash and phones were made.

Justice Crow said police located the woman outside the motel room and she was “abusive and confrontational with police”, obstructing them from entering the room and yelling out to warn Armstrong of their presence.

Inside, police located 25.828 grams of pure meth in 45.134 grams of substance worth $6000 and $30,000.

They also located 66 stripes of suboxone, 127 Lyrica capsules, glass pipe, two Viagra pills and empty clip seal bags.

Police also seized Armstrong’s black iPhone.

Armstrong was arrested and remanded in custody.

Justice Crow said Armstrong’s criminal record involved 21 sentences for 111 offences including stealing, bomb hoax, weapons offences, unlawful use of vehicles, entering premises, drug offences, violence type offences, a conviction for trafficking drugs for about four months, interfering with corpses of two young people known to be involved in the drug industry and property offences.

Armstrong pleaded guilty on December 4 to six counts of possessing dangerous drugs, one of supplying a dangerous drug, two of possessing more than two grams of a schedule one drug, three of possessing or buying an S4 or S8 medicines or hazardous poisons, two counts of possessing used drug pipes and two of possessing property suspected to be proceeds of a drug offence.

He was sentenced to a total of 4.5 years prison with 298 days presentence custody declared as time served, and parole eligibility set for August 9, 2025.

Originally published as Rockhampton drug trafficker Ian Robert Armstrong busted with meth, cocaine