A Woonona man caught with $72,000 worth of methamphetamine in his car during a traffic stop at Wagga Wagga told police the drugs belonged to his passenger.
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Darryl Ross Chillmaid was pulled over by highway patrol officers on the morning of March 16 after police received reports of a car driving erratically on the Sturt Highway.
Police claim Chillmaid and his passenger appeared to be under the influence of drugs and when they asked the pair where they were going, both allegedly gave different answers, prompting officers to grow suspicious and order a search of the car.
In documents tendered to Wollongong Local Court on Thursday police allege they found two bags of methamphetamine hidden inside condoms that were stowed behind the radio and in lining near the footwell of the centre console.
Both packages were wrapped in tape. They weighed almost 200 grams between them, police claim.
It is alleged Chillmaid’s co-accused said “yeah I’ve seen it before, I don’t know what’s in it” when asked about the items.
Chillmaid denied having any knowledge that the packages were in his car or what was inside them.
During a later interview with police Chillmaid said he suspected his friend may have been a drug courier and that he either had illicit substances on him for delivery when they arrived in Wagga, or that he was going to the regional city to pick up drugs.
He allegedly told officers he didn’t believe he was doing anything wrong by driving the co-accused to Wagga to carry out the deal.
However, police allege Chillmaid had “full knowledge” of the couriering of the packages, prompting them to charge him with drug supply offences.
Court documents say DNA taken from one of the packages was matched to an Illawarra woman, who was later interviewed by police.
The woman allegedly told officers she helped another man package the drugs up at a house in Fairy Meadow while Chillmaid and his co-accused watched, before the two men began their journey to Wagga.
Chillmaid applied for bail in court on Thursday but it was refused by Magistrate Michael Stoddart, who said Chillmaid posed an unacceptable risk to the community if released.
The case was adjourned to September 27.