A 31-year-old man arrested during a special police operation in Wendouree earlier this year had three times the traffickable amount of methylamphetamine hidden in a black bag, a court has been told.
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The planned police operation, which involved the Special Operations Group and Ballarat Crime Investigation Unit, occurred in the Wendouree area on February 14.
A police summary states Ben Edward Schultz was under police surveillance for about 30 minutes while he spoke to the target of the special operation in the Minerdome car park at 8.15pm.
SOG members arrested the target of the operation, while surveillance operatives saw Schultz run inside the Minerdome gaming lounge with a black bag, which he passed to his partner Aimee Spicer.
Ballarat CIU detectives arrested the pair, locating $150 cash and a deal bag containing 0.2 grams of mathylamphetamine inside Schultz's pant's pocket.
Police said the black bag contained about 10 grams of methylamphetamine, $210 cash and a men's watch. Schultz was transported to the Ballarat Police Station for an interview.
He pleaded guilty at the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Wednesday to 21 charges, including trafficking methylamphetamine and cannabis, assault, dealing with property suspected to be the proceeds of crime, making a threats to kill, carrying a controlled weapon, unlicensed driving, drug driving and speeding.
The offences occurred over a year from February 2018 to February 2019 in Melbourne and Ballarat.
Schultz admitted the charges via custody after a second sentence indication from the court, which included time in jail followed by a community corrections order. The prosecution withdrew seven charges.
Schultz's lawyer, who was initially representing him at an opposed bail application on Wednesday, said his client had significant health issues including depression and schizophrenia.
He said Schultz's partner, Aimee Spicer, was his carer, he had stable accommodation and could find employment if released from custody.
Magistrate Barry Schultz said trafficking drugs was the most serious of Schultz's charges, and he needed a community corrections order with treatment.
Schultz was sentenced to six months in jail, followed by a 24-month CCO. His licence was cancelled and he was disqualified from driving for six months.
He has served 69 days in pre-sentence detention, which the court declared already served.
Ms Spicer supported her partner in court and cried after learning he would not be released from jail until August.
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