Coke ring accused on bail to be a truckie
Alleged link to drug cartel
An ex-gold Coast Council worker accused of heading a massive cocaine manufacturing syndicate with links to a Colombian drug cartel has been given the green light to hit the road as a cotton truck driver.
Rhys Alwyn Ferszt, had his case mentioned in the Supreme Court in Brisbane on Friday before Justice Elizabeth Wilson where his lawyer Michael Gatenby applied to vary his bail conditions.
He is on bail on charges related to police claims that he is the ringleader of a massive cocaine manufacturing operation and orchestrated the construction of a $250,000 cocaine laboratory in Durong, in the South Burnett, where police allegedly found 100kg of pure cocaine.
The Commonwealth prosecutors agreed to the change to his night curfew and reporting to police conditions.
He was arrested in the Northern Territory and charged on July 21, 2022, after search warrants were executed, and given bail on August 26.
He is charged with conspiracy to manufacture a commercial quantity of controlled drugs between May 25 and July 21, 2022.
This carries a maximum sentence of 18 years if convicted.
Justice Wilson noted Ferszt was arrested as part of an investigation into a syndicate involving the manufacturing of cocaine.
“It is alleged that he is the head of the Australian syndicate and used business premises... to store items and chemicals
necessary to use in the process of extracting cocaine,” Justice Wilson told the court that Ferszt plans to transport cotton on his truck from rural Queensland to Brisbane.
He must report to police at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast.
During an earlier bail hearing in the Supreme Court, prosecutors said Ferszt was on paid leave from his with the Gold Coast City Council during the time of the alleged offending.
It is alleged Ferszt bought a property at Durong, where he paid a man $250,000 to build a shed, later found to be a “cocaine laboratory” used to cut up to 700kg of cocaine with a street value of up to $175m.
Shortly before his arrest Ferszt allegedly travelled to the laboratory and packed 11 bricks of cocaine into a barbecue before taking it to Brisbane to be repacked into two fridges.
On July 21, 2022, police found the cocaine laboratory shed at Durong, as well as cocaine extracting equipment, 100kg of cocaine, acids and chemicals used to extract cocaine and $1.7m in cash hidden in a duffle bag.