A man accused of being a drug courier for a bikie drug syndicate is trying to get bail after his mother offered to put up a $100,000 surety for him.
David Eddy, 52, from Cobram, applied for bail in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on Friday, January 28.
Mr Eddy is facing charges including trafficking a large commercial quantity of cocaine, trafficking a commercial quantity of cocaine, trafficking cocaine, possessing an unregistered handgun, possessing an imitation firearm, possessing cartridge ammunition without a licence, possessing cocaine, and dealing with the proceeds of crime.
Detective Senior Constable Ciaran Duryea from Echo Taskforce told the court David Eddy was believed to be a “significant member” of the Mongols Outlaw Motorcycle Gang drug trafficking syndicate.
Det Sen Constable Duryea said David Eddy was using encrypted messages on Snapchat, Signal and WhatsApp to conduct drug trafficking activities.
Police allege David Eddy was a courier for the syndicate and Det Sen Constable Duryea said he made a number of trips to places such as the Gold Coast and Townsville in Queensland over four months last year.
Police intercepted a number of calls and messages about these trips.
The court was told that on the way back from one of these trips to Queensland, police stopped David Eddy in a planned intercept at 12.50am on July 18 on Barooga-Cobram Rd, near Cobram.
When police searched the vehicle, they found a loaded .38 calibre gun, ammunition and $85,520 in a concealed compartment where the passenger airbag would once have been, Det Sen Constable Duryea said.
The court heard police also searched David Eddy’s Cobram home that he shared with his daughter at 1.55am the same night.
There they found items “used in the packaging of cocaine” including freezer bags, ziplock bags, scales, a “tick-sheet” including names and amounts, a heat seal machine and a hydraulic pill press which police say is used in the manufacture of cocaine, Det Sen Constable Duryea said.
Two imitation firearms were also found in the house.
A void was also found behind a false wall in the kitchen.
The court was told inside it was 55.1 grams of cocaine at 25 per cent purity, 27.4g of cocaine at 14 per cent purity, as well as a bag containing 1006 grams of non-drug material believed to be a cutting agent, a 335.4g bag of Benzocaine agent — which is used as a cutting agent for cocaine, and 997g of a non-drug cutting agent, Det Sen Constable Duryea said.
The police officer also told the court police were concerned David Eddy was a risk to the community based on the fact he had a gun and that he may also arm himself to “collect debts for the syndicate”, Det Sen Constable Duryea said.
When he faced the bail hearing, David Eddy was also charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of methamphetamines, trafficking a commercial quantity of methamphetamines, trafficking methamphetamines and possessing methamphetamines, but on questioning from the defence, Det Sen Constable Duryea said the methamphetamine charges did not have any substance as the white powder seized turned out to not be methamphetamines.
David Eddy’s barrister Sam Tovey said the cocaine actually found at his client’s house only equated to 25g of pure cocaine, which was less than three per cent of a large commercial quantity of the drug.
On questioning, Det Sen Constable Duryea said police were more likely to proceed with the charge of trafficking a commercial quantity of cocaine, rather than the one of trafficking a large commercial quantity of the drug.
Mr Tovey also spoke of the fact his client had been offered a residential drug rehabilitation position at The Cottage and that his mother could put up a $100,000 surety for her son.
The decision on whether David Eddy will be bailed will be made later this week.