First of 12 before the court
First of 12 netted in cop drug raids fronts city court
THE first of 12 people arrested on a series of charges arising from police drug raids at the foot of the Toowoomba Range has appeared in court.
The 35-year-old Helidon man did not speak when he appeared on charges including trafficking and possessing a dangerous drug, possessing weapons and receiving or obtaining property obtained from trafficking in dangerous drugs.
He was held in custody.
THE first of 12 people charged in relation to drug raids conducted by Gatton detectives and the Toowoomba tactical crime squad this week has appeared in court.
Helidon man Geoffrey Russell Francis had spent the night in custody before appearing in Toowoomba Magistrates Court dressed in watch house issue green top and track pants.
The heavily tattooed 35year-old was seen to motion to family and friends in the public gallery as he was led into court from the watch house but said nothing as he was placed in the court dock.
Duty solicitor Brad Skuse, of David Burns Lawyers, asked the court for an eight-week adjournment as a full police brief of evidence on the charges against the 35-year-old would be required before the case could progress.
Police charged Francis on Wednesday after allegedly finding a hydroponic cannabis set-up at his Helidon property.
During the brief mention of his matters in court yesterday, Francis was not required to enter any pleas to charges of trafficking in dangerous drugs, two counts of unlawful possession of weapons category D/H/R, and one each of possessing dangerous drugs exceeding Schedule 3 but less than Schedule 4, possessing anything used in the commission of a crime, possessing drug utensils, authority required to possess explosives, and receiving or obtaining property obtained from trafficking in dangerous drugs.
Mr Skuse told the court there would be no application for bail on his client’s behalf.
That being the case, Magistrate Graham Lee remanded Francis in custody and adjourned all charges for mention back in the same court on October 10 with the defendant’s appearance excused in court on that day.
As he was led handcuffed from the dock back to the watch house, Francis was seen to mouth a message to his family in the gallery.
In all, 12 people were charged with a combined 34 offences during what was dubbed by police as Operation Greenstone which saw officers conduct searches across Gatton and Helidon areas targetting illicit drug use and dealing.
Apart from Francis, a 41year-old Helidon woman was charged with possessing dangerous drugs and serious cruelty to animals arising from police claims that she had placed a plastic bag over a dog's head when police arrived at the property.
A Gatton man, 36, has been charged with one count each of drug possession allegedly of 20g of methylamphetamine, possessing utensils, possessing things, and possessing explosives of about 400g of gun powder, and possessing property suspected as being proceeds of a drug crime arising from a sum of cash allegedly found at the property.
That man was also charged with unlawful possession of a weapon after a firearm and taser were allegedly found at his property, and trafficking in dangerous drugs.
Police claim the taser was designed to look like a torch.
All others charged will appear in Gatton Magistrates Court in the coming weeks.