A 52-year-old man accused of running a "sophisticated" drug trafficking operation says he will fight the allegations all the way to the Supreme Court.
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Brett Matthew French appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to trafficking methamphetamine and money laundering.
Prosecutor Michael Gemmell said police raided Mr French's Higgins property early this month and found about 300 grams of the drug ice.
He said that was 50 times the traffickable amount, and Mr French would likely keep trafficking drugs if he was granted bail in order to pay off drug debts.
Police also found nearly $1120 cash in Mr French's pockets and $977 in his wallet during the raid, but his lawyer Peter Bevan on Thursday said the 52-year-old had cash on him from working on car engines.
He said other people were at the Higgins house when police raided it, and Mr French had a long history of drug use which had escalated since his partner's death.
The lawyer said Mr French needed an opportunity to address his drug use, and there was zero evidence to suggest he would reoffend while on bail.
He urged Magistrate James Stewart to grant his client bail, and said the charges would ultimately have to go to trial in the ACT Supreme Court.
But Mr Stewart refused to grant Mr French bail.
He said "in my view, this is a good prosecution case", and what police found at the house was "entirely inconsistent" with the drugs being for personal use.
Mr Stewart said drug "indicia" found there increased that inconsistency.
Police said they seized latex gloves, scales, clip seal bags, a number of mobile phones, caffeine powder that is commonly used to "cut" drugs, and vials of the drug GBL among other things.
He remanded Mr French in custody until March 4.