A drug trafficker who promised undercover police in Hallam that he could access bulk supplies of drugs has been jailed.
Gursewak Singh, 35, pleaded guilty at the Victorian County Court to trafficking commercial quantities of cocaine and heroin, as well as trafficking morphine and dealing with proceeds of crime.
The married father-of-two also pleaded guilty to dealing with $550,000 scammed from would-be investors before the drug sting.
During a police search warrant of Singh’s home in 2022, his wife told officers that Singh had gone to work at Australia Post.
He was found hiding under the bed, later claiming the funds were for an ongoing investment with a third party.
His defence lawyer conceded the funds were clearly suspicious, sentencing judge Samantha Marks noted on 9 April.
In August 2023, three police covert operatives parked near Singh’s car in Spring Square shopping centre in Hallam and asked for help changing a tyre.
After spotting a deal bag in the police’s car, Singh said “It’s what we do” and showed off a bundle of cash.
“We do everything. We don’t do it, we sell it.”
Introducing himself as ‘Sunny’, Singh confirmed he bulk-supplied cocaine. There was no point unless he was making $40,000-$50,000 a night, he said.
He was out of cocaine that night, but gave an operative a bag of heroin free of charge.
Later that month, Singh supplied operatives in a Preston hotel with cocaine and refused payment.
He was awaiting a further shipment, and offered to fly the operatives to Sydney to fly back with bags of heroin.
He was a “ghost”, responsible for co-ordinating not for dropping off drugs directly and supply 50 kilograms of an unspecified drug at a day’s notice, Singh told them.
Singh said he was willing to deliver into Melbourne’s South East using his transport business of more than 100 workers, if the deal was worth at least $40,000-$50,000.
On 1 September, he was arrested at an Epping self-storage unit during a rendezvous to sell 500 grams of heroin and 500 grams of cocaine to the operatives.
Police seized “significant amounts” of cocaine (433 grams in pure weight) and heroin (127.5 grams in pure weight), as well as 893 grams of morphine.
In a police interview, Singh initially denied all involvement.
Prior to his offending, Singh fell into cocaine, opium and alcohol abuse when his trucking and tyre businesses failed.
He was later diagnosed with gambling and substance addiction, as well as cognitive deficits and PTSD.
Judge Marks noted Singh’s early guilty plea, lack of prior relevant convictions and a subsequent conviction for drug possession.
He had “reasonable” rehabilitation prospects – having taken part in drug and alcohol programs and counselling in custody.
Singh was jailed for up to four years and eight months. He will be eligible for parole after two years and nine months.
His term includes 586 days already served in pre-sentence detention.
