MDMA found by police during the search of a Riverside house returned “one of the highest readings” Australian Border Force officers have ever recorded, a jury has been told.
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Toby John Della Valle and Shea Alex Gibbling are jointly charged with importing a commercial quantity of a controlled drug from September 20 to October 6, 2017.
Both men have pleaded not guilty.
Australian Federal Police Detective Senior Constable Nicolas Bartsch gave evidence on the second day of the Launceston Supreme Court trial.
The court heard an Australian Border Force officer detected anomalies in a parcel sent from Spain to Australia.
Mr Bedford found two packets of a brown substance inside the parcel, so he tested one and it returned a positive reading for MDMA.
The packets were sent to the AFP where Detective Senior Constable Bartsch said he sought permission to conduct a controlled delivery. After replacing the MDMA with an identical salt, the court heard the parcel continued to its destination under the supervision of police.
A search warrant was executed a house where the two accused lived after the package was delivered to Mr Gibbling, the court heard.
Detective Senior Constable Bartsch said he catalogued all items seized during the search, including a number of mobile phones, scales, a safe and the parcel.
The jury was told police found two additional bags of MDMA during the search; one in a Glasshouse candle box in insulation batts and the other in PVC pipe in Mr Gibbling’s bedroom.
Detective Senior Constable Bartsch said ABF tested the bag found in the candle box and it returned one of the highest readings they’d ever recorded.
Individually the accused have also been charged with trafficking a marketable quantity of a controlled drug in relation to the additional MDMA allegedly found during the police search.
They each pleaded not guilty to their charge.
When police first encountered Mr Della Valle inside the house the accused identified himself as Dean Emerson, the court heard.
The jury was told “Mr Emerson” asked police if he could leave his house to go to work and asked for his mobile phone back.
“Prior to returning the phone I thought it was prudent to call the number,” Detective Senior Constable Bartsch said.
There was a mobile number listed on the search warrant, which was allegedly used to call Australia Post about the parcel six times in 11 days.
Detective Senior Constable Bartsch said Mr Emerson’s phone rang when he called the number.
The trial, before Justice Brian Martin, will continue on Wednesday.