An accused drug dealer's 'suspicious' bank statements will be the main piece of evidence in a contested hearing next year.
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Benjamin Arundell, 31, of Clifton Street, appeared in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court charged with drug trafficking and other offences.
Solicitor Sarah Pratt asked the court for a sentence indication however magistrate Mark Stratmann said the alleged offending was "too serious".
He refused the request and adjourned the matter for a one-day contested hearing in the same court on April 20, 2021.
The court heard the contested hearing would hear from just one witness, the police informant, with the main piece of evidence being Mr Arundell's bank statements.
The accused was arrested on July 23 this year during a drug raid at a property in Clifton Street about 7am.
Members of the Warrnambool police divisional tasking team, uniform and crime investigation unit executed the warrant which allegedly uncovered $20,400 cash, 17 grams of methamphetamine, seven grams of cannabis, a small bottle of GHB, prescription medication and a large amount of empty deal bags.
A brief analysis of Mr Arundell's phone allegedly located numerous text messages relating to drug trafficking.
Police then obtained a warrant to check the man's bank accounts in September.
That allegedly uncovered 182 "suspicious" transactions, including deposits of up to $10,000 at a time, the court was told.
Mr Arundell was unemployed at the time and receiving government benefits.
The banking documents also allegedly revealed a number of payments ranging from $100 to $6000 from a number of Warrnambool's known drug users.
Mr Arundell told police the $20,000 cash was from two withdrawals from his superannuation account.
He said he used $8000 of that cash to purchase a vehicle and a motorcycle.
He declined to account for the remaining discrepancies, the court heard.
Mr Arundell has spent more than 100 days in custody on remand.
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