Det Act Sgt Darryl Benson compares a haul with $1 coin yesterday.
Cannabis haul worth a bundle
Friday, July 10, 2009
A PAPUA New Guinea man who stood to make thousands of dollars profit from importing large amounts of cannabis to the Torres Strait will be slapped with eight extra drug charges by police investigating the alleged offence.
Philemon Travertz, 51, was arrested on Stephens Island in the Torres Strait in early June and was charged with several drug-related offences.
Attempts to charge him with an extra eight offences were hampered in the Commonwealth Court in Cairns yesterday because Mr Travertz was yet to receive legal advice.
The case was adjourned until Monday after Magistrate Joe Pinder said it was "appalling" Mr Travertz had been in custody since June 11 without having access to a lawyer.
He ordered Legal Aid be advised to visit Mr Travertz in the watchhouse today to prepare the case.
Another man, Joseph Tell Charlie, 32, was mentioned in court yesterday after police arrested him on Darnley Island in June and charged him with several offences relating to the alleged importation of 1.4kg of cannabis.
His matter was adjourned until July 23 for mention.
Far North Region Drug Squad Det Act Sgt Darryl Benson said police would not allege the two men were connected.
He said police had been investigating Mr Travertz for about 18 months and were in the process of launching an extradition attempt before he was arrested on Stephens Island.
He said Mr Travertz, who was allegedly importing up to 4kg of cannabis at a time, stood to make a lot of money in the Torres Strait, where an amount of cannabis the size of a $1 coin could cost up to $50.
"Imagine a garbage bag full of that and it is a lot of money," he said.
"So ultimately there is the possibility of hundreds of times of what they outlay, in profit."
Act Sgt Benson said the bust was "very significant" and would go a long way to slowing the drug trade in the Torres Strait and Cape York.
"These are not tiny amounts, it is not a small bag" he said.
"We are not talking about someone who may be smoking a joint here or there, we are talking about large amounts of cannabis that someone is making a large amount of money out of."
Act Sgt Benson said the bust was the latest in a line of good results achieved under the Weed It Out program.