A Canberra drug trafficker behind bars for peddling ice and heroin profited from his trade and gambled more than $5 million in turnover through poker machines over several years, prosecutors have told a court.
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But lawyers for Lei Zhao, 40, argued the offender's drug habit hadn't been linked to his gambling and there hadn't been any evidence he made a significant profit or lived a lavish lifestyle.
Zhao was arrested after police phone intercepts and a tracking device fixed to his car revealed he had a hand in a string of drug deals between April and July in 2016. He pleaded guilty in the ACT Supreme Court to four charges.
Court documents said Zhao and his buyers often spoke in code, using the phrases "a beer", "half an hour" or "an hour" to refer to amounts of methylamphetamine, or ice. He sold more than 665 grams of ice for about $6000 per 28 grams.
Police had searched a Page house rented by Zhao and his wife after they began investigating him for ice supply in October 2015.
They found partially cooked methylamphetamine in a saucepan on the stove and chemicals, cutting agent and drug paraphernalia in the kitchen.
Small amounts of ice and heroin had been stashed in drawers, cigarette packets and in plastic bags in a cupboard. Police seized about 359 grams of ice and 197 grams of heroin.
Zhao previously told a sentence hearing he bought the drugs in bulk so it was cheaper for himself and his friends and he had made little profit.
He said his parents in China had given him between $300,000 and $400,000 from 2012 to 2016. He had also worked as a plasterer.
Prosecutor Emilija Beljic said on Thursday evidence of Zhao's gambling habit was "one strand" to support the Crown's argument he profited from his "significant enterprise".
"He already had a wage. He was dealing the drugs for a profit."
A police informant told the court ACT Labour Club records showed Zhao gambled $5 million in turnover between 2013 and his arrest in 2016. He had also gambled at other clubs.
Defence lawyer Michael Kukulies-Smith said those figures suggested Zhao put about $47,000 into the machines over more than three years, at the same time he got about $80,000 per year from his parents.
"That's more than enough to sustain a $15,000 a year gambling habit, isn't it?" he asked the witness.
The police officer agreed he couldn't rule out that money was used to fund Zhao's gambling habit.
Ms Beljic said Zhao there was a need for specific deterrence, given he had continued to offend even after police visited his home .
Mr Kukulies-Smith urged the court to consider an intensive corrections order, which would allow Zhao to serve his sentence in the community.
He said Zhao's decision to continue dealing drugs after police had searched his home was "not inconsistent" with someone who was a drug addict, as opposed to a person who sold drugs for profit.
Acting Justice David Robinson will sentence Zhao on Thursday.
