Brandon Smith questioned by police over person linked to drug probe
Officers at Gold Coast Airport took the 29-year-old New Zealand international aside after landing at the airport on Saturday ahead of the Rabbitohs' match against the Gold Coast Titans on Sunday.
According to sources with knowledge of the matter speaking on the condition of anonymity, Smith was questioned about an individual familiar to him in relation to a Queensland Police investigation into the supply of drugs.
There is no suggestion of wrongdoing on his part and he was released without charge.
But this masthead can reveal that he previously pleaded guilty to drug offences while living in Townsville and was an emerging talent with the North Queensland Cowboys.
According to court records, Smith was charged in 2014 with two counts of supplying and possessing dangerous drugs after being found with an amount of MDMA at Nelly Bay on Magnetic Island.
He initially appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court before the case was committed to the District Court, where he pleaded guilty.
He was sentenced in 2016 with a fine of $3000. No convictions were recorded.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
13 hours ago
- 7NEWS
From sewers to syndicates: Australia's drug demand fuels billion-dollar crime
Australia's insatiable appetite for illicit drugs is fuelling demand from international crime groups and drug dealers cashing in on the lucrative market. Analysis of wastewater by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, in partnership with universities, detected a growth in consumption of major illicit drugs around the nation. Methylamphetamine (ice), cocaine and heroin were all found at record highs in the latest analysis, which began in 2016. More than 22 tonnes of those three drugs, as well as MDMA (ecstasy), was consumed in Australia in the year to August 2024, according to the wastewater analysis. It has boosted the illicit drug trade and the profits for organised criminals, with an estimated $11.5 billion being spent. Ice consumption rose to an estimated 12.8 tonnes. Cocaine use increased almost 70 per cent, MDMA almost 50 per cent, and heroin almost 15 per cent. The commission's drug specialist Shane Neilson said the market was rebounding after consumption dropped amid tighter border controls and lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Large profits from a consumer base willing and able to pay higher prices than other global markets are driving the business. Drug traffickers will throw tonnes of product at Australia's borders, knowing whatever gets through will make enough money to outweigh losses from seizures, some of which outweigh total detected annual consumption, Mr Neilson said. 'It's just a relentless determination of transnational and domestic serious and organised crime groups to continue to supply the Australian market,' he said. Organised crime groups are also thought to be fuelling a rise in illicit tobacco, but while nicotine consumption reversed a decline in the second half of 2024, it's impossible to determine what proportion of it was obtained on the black market. Ketamine use is also on the rise. Forensic analysts believe the majority of the general anaesthetic being consumed is imported and illicit, with the drug's use in medical and veterinary settings less prevalent. It's the same for cannabis, despite thousands of people being medically prescribed. 'Although the number of users of medicinal cannabis is increasing, it's small relative to the overall use of cannabis,' Mr Neilson said. The nation's multi-billion-dollar splurge on illicit drugs sends profits solely to organised criminals, the crime commission said. 'There is no taxation on these profits, and economically it does have an impact,' Mr Neilson said. The latest National Drug Strategy Household Survey suggests nearly one-in-two Australians aged 14 and over (10.2 million people) had illicitly used a drug at some point in their lifetime including the non-medical use of pharmaceuticals. An estimated one in five (3.9 million) used in the past 12 months.
9 News
14 hours ago
- 9 News
Australians are consuming a lot more of these four drugs
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Australia's consumption of four illicit drugs has increased by a significant amount, the latest wastewater testing has revealed. The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission's (ACIC) latest wastewater report revealed that 22.2 tonnes of methylamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and MDMA were consumed between August 2023 to August 2024. The results indicate a 34 per cent increase from previous years, driven by a massive increase in the consumption of illicit drugs. ACIC's latest wastewater report revealed that 22.2 tonnes of methylamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and MDMA were consumed between August 2023 to August 2024. (Getty) There was a 21 per cent increase in methylamphetamine usage, a 69 per cent increase in cocaine usage, a 49 per cent increase in MDMA usage and a 14 per cent increase in heroin usage. ACIC's annual survey covers 57 per cent of the country's waterways, with the goal of monitoring national drug use. They screen for methylamphetamine, amphetamine, cocaine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA), 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), heroin, cannabis, oxycodone, fentanyl, nicotine, alcohol, and ketamine. Alcohol and nicotine were the most consumed legal drugs. (Getty) ACIC CEO Heather Cook estimated the drugs detected had a total street value of $11.5 billion, with methylamphetamine accounting for $8.9 billion. "The 2.2 tonne increase in national meth consumption is concerning because 12.8 tonnes is the highest annual level recorded by the program and the drug causes significant community harm," Cook said. "Similarly, there has been a large increase in national cocaine consumption, also to the highest annual level recorded by our wastewater program." This is the first time that cocaine, heroin and meth have been consumed at record-high levels simultaneously since the wastewater screening program began. Alcohol and nicotine were the most consumed legal drugs. Alcohol usage increased while nicotine usage decreased. The report also found that cannabis was the most consumed illicit drug. There were higher consumption rates of marijuana in regional areas compared to metropolitan areas. CONTACT US
Sydney Morning Herald
15 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
WA news LIVE: Wastewater survey reveals WA tops nation for meth use
Western Australia has recorded the highest average levels of methamphetamine consumption at both a city and regional level, according to new data shining a light on the nation's drug use. The latest report from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission has revealed an estimated 1716.4 kilograms of methamphetamine was consumed in WA during year 8 of the commission's National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program. 'In August 2024, Perth had the highest estimated average capital city consumption of methylamphetamine, while Western Australia had the highest average regional consumption,' the report read. There were notable increases in MDMA use in most jurisdictions, but particularly the Northern Territory (92 per cent) and Western Australia (65 per cent). And regional parts of Western Australia, the Northern Territory and South Australia all recorded cannabis consumption levels well above the national average. ACIC chief executive Heather Cook said nationally the wastewater report revealed 22.2 tonnes of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and MDMA were consumed from August 2023 to August 2024. This was a 34 per cent increase from the previous year. 'This combined data strongly indicates a concerning level of market growth, extending beyond the markets for illicit stimulants,' Cook said. 'This challenge can only be met through concerted and coordinated effort under the three pillars of the National Drug Strategy: demand reduction, supply reduction and harm reduction.'
