A Canberra judge has rejected claims that a Franklin man imported more than half-a-kilogram of illicit drugs – worth up to $273,000 - into the territory to feed his personal habit.
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Emin Yavuz, 26, used the internet to buy cocaine, MDMA (methylone), and amphetamines from China, Holland, and the United States.
He then used five aliases to have the drugs posted to seven different post boxes and three separate addresses between September 2013 and January 2014.
In total, he imported 434.64 grams of MDMA, 147.2g of cocaine, and 3.47g of amphetamine.
The ACT Supreme Court on Thursday heard the drugs had been worth between $234,000-$273,000.
Police arrested and charged Yavuz in December 2013 after Customs detected a drug package at a Sydney mail room.
Authorities replaced the drugs with an inert substance, and allowed Yavuz to pick it up.
Police then raided Yavuz's Franklin home, where they found a list of tracking numbers, fake licences, and keys to post office boxes across the capital.
Yavuz initially pleaded not guilty to 34 charges of importing a border controlled drug and identity fraud, and was committed to stand trial in the Supreme Court.
But he then pleaded guilty in May – a month before the scheduled trial date – to 23 drug importation charges.
Justice John Burns – in handing down sentence on Thursday – accepted the guilty pleas showed an element of remorse.
The court heard there had been no evidence that Yavuz had acted with others as part of an drug importation syndicate, instead classifying him as a "sole trader".
Yavuz told a presentence report author that the purpose of his crimes had been to support his personal drug use.
But the court heard there had been little evidence that Yavuz had a serious drug addiction.
Justice Burns rejected the claims, saying the offender's unwillingness to be frank and his attempts to minimise his culpability meant he had not yet shown full remorse.
The judge said the amount and value of the drugs showed the motive to be monetary.
"You stood to make a considerable profit," Justice Burns said.
The court heard Yavuz had a minor criminal history, with one prior conviction for robbery in 2009.
Justice Burns accepted he had good prospects of rehabilitation, with testimonials tendered in court pointing to his future potential.
The judge sentenced Yavuz to five years and 11 months jail, backdated to take into account time spent in custody, with a non-parole period of three-and-a-half years.
He will be eligible for parole in September 2018.
