“I TALK to these guys all the time there (sic) all right mate make some money for yourself,” Wagga man Jordan Betts said in a text to his brother, Jarrod.
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But what the drug and gun dealing brothers did not suspect was the man they were talking about was a police officer sent undercover to flush them out.
Jordan Betts, 22, and his 24-year-old brother Jarrod on Wednesday pleaded guilty in Wagga Local Court to multiple counts of firearm and drug supply charges.
Jordan, who is on bail, and Jarrod, who is in custody, will be sentenced in Wagga District Court on a date to be fixed.
Details of the police operation, called Strike Force Golder, were revealed in agreed facts tendered to court after the Betts brothers entered their pleas through their solicitor, David Barron.
The strike force was authorised on July 22, 2015, to investigate Jarrod Betts and his “associates”.
Eight days after the operation was approved, the undercover officer was in a backyard shed with Jordan Betts and bought 100 ecstasy pills for $1600 and a Boito Brazil brand shortened shotgun and a belt of 20 shotgun rounds for $500.
The ecstasy was found to be 2 per cent pure.
The shotgun was found to be not in working order because its firing pin was broken, but when a new firing pin was installed the firearm was successfully fired.
On September 25, another undercover operation was authorised.
On September 29, a police operative unsuccessfully tried to telephone Jarrod Betts, so he reached out to Jordan.
Jordan, in turn, texted his brother and assured him with the words: “Ring him. U won’t get f….d around trust me I talk to these guys all the time there all right mate make some money for yourself”.
Jarrod Betts met the operative later that day in an Edward Street carpark and sold him two rifles in a guitar case for $1600.
Police telephone intercepts also showed Jordan Betts agreed to sell 53 ecstasy tablets to people who were not police in eight different transactions between September 18 and 19.
Tablets were often peddled for $25 each.
Intercepts also showed Jarrod Betts agreed to supply 714 ecstasy tablets, including 200 to Jordan, in just under a month.
He also agreed to supply 8.85 grams of methamphetamine.
Jarrod agreed to sell methamphetamine for between $250 and $270 for 0.5g.
He agreed to supply ecstasy pills for as little as $16 each.
Police intercepted 25 agreements to supply between August 7 and September 5, 2015.
Jarrod Betts was arrested on July 20 last year.