Cricketer’s drug charges

Sniffer dog allegedly detects $80K of meth

A NORTHERN Tasmanian cricketer who allegedly attempted to traffic $80,000 worth of methamphetamine via aeroplane from Melbourne has fronted court on 19 charges stretching back to January.

Newnham man Lachlan Anthony Lefevre, 27, had his charges mentioned in Launceston Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

He is charged with trafficking in a controlled substance, two counts each of using false identification information to obtain and then take a constitutional flight, and 15 other offences. Those offences were allegedly committed between May 30 and his interception at Launceston Airport on June 1.

Tasmania Police previously said in a statement that members of Northern Drug Investigation Services and the Police Dog Handling Unit were conducting routine screening at Launceston Airport, of passengers arriving on a flight from

Melbourne, when the dog allegedly gave a positive indication to Mr Lefevre.

They allegedly uncovered 80g of ice with an estimated street value of $80,000.

Mr Lefevre’s other alleged offences include counts of evading police, possessing ammunition, selling a controlled drug, drug driving, motor vehicle stealing, and driving on a suspended licence, all of which date from between

January and June this year. In court, Magistrate Sharon Cure told Mr Lefevre he needed to obtain legal representation, especially as the charge of trafficking was an indictable offence which needed to go to the Supreme Court.

In response, Mr Lefevre advised he was “waiting to go through Legal Aid”.

His charges were adjourned to September 1.

According to Mr Lefevre’s social media, he was born in Launceston, schooled on Queensland’s Gold Coast, and turns out for a northern Tasmanian cricket club, where he has awarded Best and Fairest one year.

Mr Lefevre’s girlfriend, 35year-old Newnham woman Denim Faye O’Connor, was also detained at Launceston Airport after allegedly travelling to Melbourne with her partner.

While she was released initially without charge – there is no suggestion she was involved in or aware of Mr Lefevre’s alleged trafficking – a subsequent search warrant executed on the pair’s residence on June 1 resulted in four charges.

They included unlawful possession of property – a scanner – possessing MDMA, possessing ice pipes and possessing ammunition.

Her charges were also mentioned and adjourned until early August. Mr Lefevre and Ms O’Connor held hands as they exited the courthouse.