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Two men who supplied undercover police officers with almost half a kilogram of methamphetamine have been jailed for five years.
Jesse Raymond Craig, 46, and Brett Edward George, 47, both of Oxford Street, South Nowra were arrested in June 2015 as part of the Strike Force Croci crackdown on illegal drug activity in the Shoalhaven.
Police had carried out the operation over a seven-month period.
Both pleaded guilty to supplying a commercial quantity of prohibited drugs in Nowra District Court on Wednesday.
The court heard George and Craig were close associates and were recorded on seven occasions between March 4 and June 2 last year supplying methamphetamine or ice to undercover police.
While George undertook the majority of the deals with police, Craig was present during most transactions and had in many cases been the go-between, arranging the deals.
The court was told they worked together as a joint criminal enterprise.
The amounts of drugs supplied during the deals varied from 27.6g of ice up to 139.3g.
Craig pleaded guilty to supplying 478.85 grams of ice and George to supplying 448g of the drug.
The deals took place on the Nerriga Road near Oallen Ford Road, Maybush Way in West Nowra and the final deal when the pair were arrested was in the car park of the IGA Supermarket at Braidwood.
The court heard police paid $107,000 during six deals, which produced almost 280g of the drug and had set up a deal to secure a pound or 435g of ice.
On May 27, undercover officers made inquiries about the cost of acquiring a pound of the drug, and had made the deal for $112,000.
Instead of receiving the drugs in one delivery, officers were given 84.8g on May 27, with a larger delivery on June 2 and the remainder on June 5.
On June 2, just after George handed over a glass jar containing five packages of a crystal-like substance in the car park of the IGA Supermarket at Braidwood, police swooped, making the arrest.
Evidence before the court said the drugs had been secreted in cigarette packages and on a number of occasions were hidden in vehicles, including in a plastic container fitted to the air filter and also in a magnetic container under the wheel arch.
Judge David Frearson sentenced Craig to five years’ jail with a non-parole period of three years. He will be eligible for parole on June 1, 2018.
George was sentenced to five years and five months’ jail, with a non-parole period of three years and three months. He will be eligible for parole on September 1, 2018.
A total of 44 people were charged as a result of Strike Force Croci’s operation. Twenty-nine of of those charged have either entered guilty pleas or been found guilty, with 27 now sentenced.
Strike Force Croc netted police more than three kilograms or 25,000 street buys of the drug methamphetamine or ice valued at $2 million, three kilograms of cannabis, five firearms and cash.