A TASMANIAN man connected to the biggest drug haul in the state's history has pleaded guilty to trafficking a controlled substance. Nicholas Mark Stebbins, 27, was involved in importing drugs bound for Tasmania with a street value of more than $11 million between August 2012 and July 2014. Stebbins, then a Rebels Motorcycle Club member, helped organise and pay for seven drug parcels posted to Tasmania from overseas. Inside the parcels were more than two kilograms of amphetamines and at least $300,000 worth of MDMA. Stebbins paid for the parcels using digital currency Bitcoin, and through money transfers at post offices using his driver's licence as identification. The parcels were ultimately seized in Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia in a major 2014 bust involving Tasmania Police, the Australian Federal Police and Customs officers. Crown Prosecutor Darryl Coates said Stebbins continued to traffic drugs even after he was caught and bailed. "Even when he suspects the police were onto him he still continued," Mr Coates said. Mr Coates said trafficking on this scale was relatively unheard of in Tasmania. "The amounts that were seized would be a significant proportion of what is seized in an entire year in the whole of Tasmania," he said. Defence lawyer James Crotty said Stebbins was involved, but not at the head of the drug importation chain. "He has not got an orchestra waiting for him to raise his baton," Mr Crotty said. "He is a second fiddle, if that." Mr Crotty said Stebbins had since cut ties with the Rebels and become a model prisoner with good prospects of rehabilitation. Justice David Porter was told Stebbins had repaired relationships with his mother, girlfriend and friends. Stebbins will be sentenced on March 12.
A TASMANIAN man connected to the biggest drug haul in the state's history has pleaded guilty to trafficking a controlled substance.
Nicholas Mark Stebbins, 27, was involved in importing drugs bound for Tasmania with a street value of more than $11 million between August 2012 and July 2014.
Stebbins, then a Rebels Motorcycle Club member, helped organise and pay for seven drug parcels posted to Tasmania from overseas.
Inside the parcels were more than two kilograms of amphetamines and at least $300,000 worth of MDMA.
Stebbins paid for the parcels using digital currency Bitcoin, and through money transfers at post offices using his driver's licence as identification.
The parcels were ultimately seized in Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia in a major 2014 bust involving Tasmania Police, the Australian Federal Police and Customs officers.
Crown Prosecutor Darryl Coates said Stebbins continued to traffic drugs even after he was caught and bailed.
"Even when he suspects the police were onto him he still continued," Mr Coates said.
Mr Coates said trafficking on this scale was relatively unheard of in Tasmania.
"The amounts that were seized would be a significant proportion of what is seized in an entire year in the whole of Tasmania," he said.
Defence lawyer James Crotty said Stebbins was involved, but not at the head of the drug importation chain.
"He has not got an orchestra waiting for him to raise his baton," Mr Crotty said.
"He is a second fiddle, if that."
Mr Crotty said Stebbins had since cut ties with the Rebels and become a model prisoner with good prospects of rehabilitation.
Justice David Porter was told Stebbins had repaired relationships with his mother, girlfriend and friends.
