Documents reveal depth of drug use
AT the height of the Titans’ cocaine racket, the team’s players were contacting a drug kingpin almost every week to arrange a fix, explosive new documents reveal.
It is also alleged a “blind” drunk Greg Bird phoned the head of the cartel in the middle of the day to get cocaine, less than 48 hours after playing at Suncorp Stadium in a State of Origin loss. And fellow former Titan Jamie Dowling was a “weekly customer”, as a troubling timeline emerges of the scandal that rocked Queensland sport.
The documents, tendered during the sentencing of ex-NRL star Matt Seers and ringleader John Touma this month, contain a string of texts and phone calls between professional footballers, including code-hopper Karmichael Hunt, and members of the sophisticated cocaine network.
Over five months in 2014, players contacted the ring more than 20 times using code such as “bottle of wine” for one gram of cocaine and “football” for 3.5g, with the Crime and Corruption Commission documenting every word.
Bird, who had charges of drug supply dropped, allegedly phoned ex-Sydney Rooster Touma at 3.21pm on July 11 to ask if “someone was around” to meet him at a Palm Beach cafe.
NSW won the 2014 Origin series, but were smashed by Queensland in the dead rubber at Suncorp Stadium on July 9, just two days before Bird’s alleged call to Touma.
Police have alleged Bird was supplied with a “personal quantity” of cocaine by drug courier Adam Surplice, who later told his boss that Bird was “blind” and an “imbecile”.
Queensland State of Origin player Ashley Harrison, who also had supply charges dropped, is alleged to have phoned Touma about a week later asking for “four bottles” of “A grade”, which police alleged was code for four grams of quality cocaine. Touma sent Harrison a text message after the delivery saying “that will pump your tyres up”.
Troubled prop Dave Taylor phoned Touma on August 30, and police say he received cocaine after asking the drug boss to “come up as he is with the crew at Q1 chasing a bit”.
Taylor pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine, along with fellow exBronco and Queensland Reds star Hunt.
Hunt had an unknown quantity of cocaine delivered on September 27 after a phone call with Touma in which he requested “red back bags, they are f---ing lovely” in reference to cocaine bags.