Ex-bikie associate jailed after cocaine discovered in police raids

A former bikie associate caught with over 20 times the trafficable amount of cocaine when police raided homes across Canberra has been handed a jail sentence.

Taran Lee Cummins spent the first half of 2021 talking about receiving and distributing drugs with a co-offender. Then on 23 July, the pair were trafficking cocaine, ACT Supreme Court Justice David Mossop said in sentencing remarks released on Thursday (29 June).

That day, 23 July 2021, police raided Cummins’ home in Bonner and found about 139 grams of cocaine, with most of the drugs divided into four bags.

The trafficable amount of cocaine in the ACT is six grams.

During their search of Cummins’ home, police also found $6460 in a bum bag as well as scales, bags, a cutting agent and a pill press.

Police had raided the co-offender’s home on the same day, discovering almost one gram of cocaine and $8750 cash.

“The amount of drugs found was well above the trafficable quantity,” Justice Mossop said of Cummins’ offences.

“There was evidence of active measures in place to sell the drugs.

“It is clear that the offender was doing so for profit, even if he was also a long-term user of the drugs.”

The justice said Cummins had acknowledged he intentionally trafficked cocaine in order to sell it for a financial benefit, but had expressed regret for his actions.

He pleaded guilty to charges of trafficking in a controlled drug and money laundering, for which he faced 10 years’ jail.

He was born and raised in Canberra, is married and has worked as a self-employed carpenter for about 13 years, earning over $100,000 each year.

Justice Mossop said he has prior associations with the president of the Rebels motorcycle club due to a building industry connection, but had declined an invitation to join the group.

“He denied further interaction with club members since his incarceration,” he said.

He also said Cummins had started using cocaine when he was 19 and it eventually became a daily habit that cost him $1000 a week.

Justice Mossop said Cummins had a long history of illicit substance use that has not been treated through any formal rehabilitation program and had committed serious offences arising from that drug use.

He added that evidence about a desire or capacity to stop using drugs in future was “not strong”.

The 33-year-old was convicted and sentenced to two years and two months’ jail, with a nine-month non-parole period.

With time served, he will be released from custody in December 2023.