A McKellar man accused of peddling high-purity ice and heroin to buyers in Canberra allegedly had links to Chinese organised crime gangs in Sydney and Hong Kong.
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Lei Zhao, 39, was arrested after police phone intercepts and a tracking device fixed to his car revealed he had a hand in dozens of alleged drug deals between April and July this year.
Court documents detailing the lengthy string of transactions stated Zhao and his buyers often spoke in code, using the phrases "half an hour" or "an hour" to refer to amounts of methylamphetamine, or ice.
In one deal, the buyer said the ice was the best quality he'd had. In another, a man told Zhao his customers "love this shit".
Zhao has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to two counts of drug trafficking. Details of his alleged crimes were aired during a bail application in the ACT Magistrates Court.
Police searched a Page home that had been rented by Zhao and his wife last October after they began investigating the accused for alleged ice supply.
They allegedly found partially cooked methylamphetamine in a saucepan on the stove and chemicals, cutting agent and drug paraphernalia in the kitchen.
About 340 grams of ice and heroin in small amounts had been stashed in drawers, cigarette packets and in plastic bags in a cupboard.
Detective Senior Constable Christopher Biziak gave evidence the ice was about 80 per cent purity with an estimated street value of between $85,000 and $300,000.
Under questioning from prosecutor Anthony Williamson, who opposed bail, the police officer said ice of such a "very high" purity would have been considered a premium product on the street.
Police later searched the McKellar home Zhao lived in and uncovered more than 500 grams of ice with an estimated street value of between $300,000 and $600,000, digital scales and receipts for various Canberra ATMs.
Detective Senior Constable Biziak told the court police believed Zhao was sourcing the ice from a Chinese organised crime gang in Sydney.
Police had searched the home of one of his alleged suppliers in Sydney and found bank records which showed numerous deposits made from various Canberra ATMs.
He said Zhao frequented clubs and brothels throughout the ACT late at night and he'd gambled a turnover of more than $5 million in recent years.
The court heard phone records that showed the defendant had contact with people who were connected to organised crime in Hong Kong and had been linked to large drug imports.
Speaking through a Mandarin interpreter, Ms Che gave evidence her husband had once worked as a plasterer but she didn't know what he did for work now.
Mr Williamson: "Is it the case you know your husband didn't work because he was dealing drugs?"
Ms Che: "No, because we get money from China every year."
She grew angry as she denied her husband was a drug dealer, saying the allegations made by the Crown were "hurtful".
"It is you who says he did this," she said. "I don't believe it and my husband wouldn't do it."
Mr Williamson said the case against Zhao, which included fingerprint and DNA evidence, was "overwhelming" and a significant sentence of full-time imprisonment was inevitable.
He said the significant amount of ice which had been lost meant Zhao "may be in some trouble" with the Sydney-based crime gang, which could heighten his flight risk.
Lawyer Michael Kukulies-Smith of Kamy Saeedi Law, tendered documents which he said showed the significant wealth of the couple's families and their long-standing practice of transferring money to the pair.
He argued Zhao wasn't a flight risk, noting police had taken his passport, and said his family was willing to put up a $50,000 surety.
Magistrate Beth Campbell denied bail. The case returns to court next month.
