A former site supervisor for the Royal Adelaide Hospital construction project has been jailed for more than five years for trafficking drugs through Australia Post.

Key points:

  • Halid Hadziefendic trafficked more than 30 kilograms of drugs through Australia Post
  • He pleaded guilty to three charges of trafficking and one of drug possession
  • He was sentenced to more than five years in jail, with a non-parole period of more than two years

Halid Hadziefendic, 48, pleaded guilty in the SA District Court to drug trafficking and unlawful possession.

Judge Rauf Soulio said Hadziefendic’s role in the drug-trafficking syndicate was packing and posting about 30 kilograms of cannabis through Australia Post outlets and receiving payments.

Judge Soulio said he became involved after he was contacted by a family friend, who was involved in dealing cannabis, and he “felt obliged” to assist.

“You said that you did not really want to become involved because you were working and earning good money,” Judge Soulio said.

“You said you anticipated that you may be caught in the offending.

“You also involved your family and on occasion friends to assist in your offending.”

Hadziefendic posted nine packages in early 2017 to New South Wales containing vegetable matter consistent with cannabis at the Plympton and Mansfield Park Australia Post offices.

Police later found more than $15,000 in cash — including $12,000 in a pantry — at Hadziefendic’s house which matched the serial numbers of cash that police had intercepted in the post.

Officers also seized more than seven kilograms of cannabis at his home.

Trafficker ‘held no rank’

The court heard the head of the drug-trafficking operation was living in the Philippines at the time and Hadziefendic was receiving a sum of money for each pound of cannabis he posted — money he was using to buy cannabis and other drugs.

“I accept your role packing and posting cannabis interstate and collecting cash from the post office box,” Judge Soulio said.

Hadziefendic was the site supervisor at the Royal Adelaide Hospital until his arrest in May 2017.

He was also managing contracts for the Adelaide Oval and South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) projects.

“Your employment was terminated following publicity surrounding your arrest,” Judge Soulio said.

He said Hadziefendic had a limited criminal history, was a hard-working family man and was unlikely to offend again.

Judge Soulio sentenced him to five-years-and-three-months’ prison with a non-parole period of two years and six months.

He found Hadziefendic was a man of good character and had undertaken rehabilitation since his offending.

He also had a very strong work ethic and had established his own successful business which provided employment to others — circumstances he considered exceptional to affix a shorter non-parole period.