QLD Government Sells Drag racers

[csv8]

State sells off drag racers
Article from: The Courier-Mail



Mark Solomons

January 16, 2010 12:00am

A COLLECTION of cars and motorbikes so powerful even their owner says they're dangerous is about to be put up for public sale by the State Government.

None is registered and some are up to 10 times more powerful than ordinary streets cars. All run on pure alcohol fuel.

The machines are being held as part of a $10 million proceeds of crime civil case – but they will be released to the general public because the Queensland Government doesn't have a place to keep them.

They are owned by former drag racing champion Brett Stevens and were seized last February when Stevens, 45, was arrested as part of Operation Golf Brazen.

The year-long Queensland police, Crime and Misconduct Commission and Australian Crime Commission campaign targeted drug crime and led to 77 arrests and 220 charges.

Stevens was charged with drug manufacturing and trafficking offences and a committal hearing in Brisbane Magistrates Court is set for Tuesday.

The cars look like production models – five are described as Ford Falcons – but produce up to 3000 horsepower.

The Public Trustee will now sell them and hold the money until the state's civil case against Stevens is resolved.

The body argued in court documents last year that there was no facility in southeast Queensland to properly store the vehicles and there was a risk that they would deteriorate in value.

Stevens himself did not oppose an application for their sale although he warned in an affidavit that it would be dangerous to sell them without explaining to a buyer how to operate them.

Last month Justice Byrne ordered the Public Trustee to sell the five cars, a "Burnout Ute", four bikes and one body shell, first removing all sponsor logos and other advertising.

Drag racing veteran Victor Bray said Stevens's cars were "top class" and the state should not have difficulty finding buyers.

"These cars are all still state of the art," he said.

Stevens has been advertising the cars for sale for several months on his website, at $250,000 each. Bray said this was "at the top of the market", noting that a brand new drag car could be bought in the US for about $215,000.

A spokesman for the Public Trustee said that it could not comment as the matter was before the courts. It usually sells the goods it seizes at auction.

The state has also frozen other assets owned by Stevens including several properties, shares in his racing, transport and employment companies and a fleet of trucks, utes and cars.

Under Queensland's tough proceeds of crime laws, the state can restrain property if there is reasonable suspicion of serious crime-related activity, even if there is no conviction. The onus is on the owner to show how the money used to buy it was obtained.

To back its civil claim, the state has alleged in the Supreme Court, based on wiretap and surveillance evidence and informants' testimony, that Stevens was involved in manufacturing and supplying drugs including cocaine, ecstasy and methylamphetamine.

It alleges he had access to at least one pill press between September 2007 and October 2008 and told a co-conspirator "that he could sell 20,000 pills per week and was getting between $8 and $9 per pill".

Stevens did not respond to calls seeking comment.

[ebxr8240]

I think he's in a little trouble ???

[Melz]

I wondered what was going on, its all taken a while to come out..

[Mr Hardware]

I wholeheartedly support this move - the more the government can seize from criminals and have the Public Trustee auction off and return the funds to the public coffers, the less tax we pay. Making criminals pay and us not - thats a world i like.

[MNM96]

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

I wholeheartedly support this move - the more the government can seize from criminals and have the Public Trustee auction off and return the funds to the public coffers, the less tax we pay. Making criminals pay and us not - thats a world i like.

While I wholeheartedly support your statement, what ever happened to the old chestnut, "innocent until proven guilty"?

[Kryton]

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

the more the government can seize from criminals and have the Public Trustee auction off and return the funds to the public coffers, the less tax we pay. Making criminals pay and us not - thats a world i like.

I hope you dont honestly believe that we'll have to pay less tax now...........

Any money that is recovered - none of us are ever going to see in any shape or form.

[mrbaxr6t]

I hope these cars don't wind up being driven around on public roads is all I can say - and before you go "that won't happen" remember how many idiots are in the world....

[Melz]

Originally Posted by mrbaxr6t

I hope these cars don't wind up being driven around on public roads is all I can say - and before you go "that won't happen" remember how many idiots are in the world....

You do realise we are talking top doorslammers and top bikes.... :

[GS608]

and there are plenty of folk with more money than sense and will grab one at a bargain price and cut laps at the spit

[xdc351]

Top Doorslammers and Top Bikes.... Have you ever actually seen one? There is absolutely no chance that someone could cruise around town in one! They use over 50L of fuel to do a single run!

Come on people :

Besides they might go 'cheap' compared to building a new one....but they won't be 'affordable' to anyone that thinks they might drive one down to the shops.

[Kryton]

Originally Posted by xdc351

but they won't be 'affordable' to anyone that thinks they might drive one down to the shops.

But damn that would be a ride.

"Just going to get some milk..........................."

[Nikked]

i want a 3000hp falcon!

[PALE ALE]

Originally Posted by MNM96

While I wholeheartedly support your statement, what ever happened to the old chestnut, "innocent until proven guilty"?

Wow, couldnt agree more, what a draconian law it is, that allows police to sieze your property and sell it, without you being convicted of anything

[ltd_on20s]

Originally Posted by PALE ALE

Wow, couldnt agree more, what a draconian law it is, that allows police to sieze your property and sell it, without you being convicted of anything

the lucky country hey?

[Elks]

Originally Posted by PALE ALE

Wow, couldnt agree more, what a draconian law it is, that allows police to sieze your property and sell it, without you being convicted of anything

It does make you wonder what happened to due process.

But does also note that stevens does not oppose this. Not doubt with such serous charges a long court battle is inevidable. At the end of which these cars will be 3 or 4 years old. And an old race car is no good if you want to take on Bray/Zappia etc.

Be a good fire sale if you had the cash..

[DJR-351]

Edit, dammit! beat me by that much^^

Originally Posted by PALE ALE

Wow, couldnt agree more, what a draconian law it is, that allows police to sieze your property and sell it, without you being convicted of anything

To quote the Courier Mail..

"Stevens himself did not oppose an application for their sale although he warned in an affidavit that it would be dangerous to sell them without explaining to a buyer how to operate them"

[Scaffy]

In WA, even if you're able to prove your assets, if you're classed as a drug trafficker, they'll take the lot. An example of that is one of the first cases when the asset seizure legislation came in, a woman was charged with trafficking some weed. No huge quantity either, and she lost over $100,000 she'd inherited from her grandmother not long beforehand.

I can't argue with the confiscation of assets if it's ill-gotten money, however, if it's PROVEN it's legitimate and is still confiscated, it doesn't sit well with me. Even in these circumstances, I don't believe they should be allowed to sell anything until he's been proven guilty. Who gives a if they're worried about depreciation or don't have storage space. They should have thought about that when they introduced such legislation.

Also, to the comment in regards to the decrease in taxes. WTF? I can see them coming out in the next budget and telling everyone in QLD they can thank Brett Stevens for the lower taxes this year.

And driving these things on the road? Come ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

[chrisfpv]

Originally Posted by Nikked

i want a 3000hp falcon!

Join the club!!

[Barry_v]

couldn't happain to a nicer guy.

[starkey]

The original story alluded to there being more drag racers involved.

[gravelrash]

subscribing

[EB_5.0_WAGON]

For those interested in what he is trying to sell check out this site
http://www.brettstevensracing.com/BSR_sale_ok.pdf

[PANELCORP]

Glad to see the cars will come back to the race track

Hopefully sooner rather than later !!

[Joshmcmillan]

There is around 3.5 Million$ of stuff for sale in that PDF.

[Bushbasher]

Originally Posted by thechad

In WA, even if you're able to prove your assets, if you're classed as a drug trafficker, they'll take the lot. An example of that is one of the first cases when the asset seizure legislation came in, a woman was charged with trafficking some weed. No huge quantity either, and she lost over $100,000 she'd inherited from her grandmother not long beforehand.

I can't argue with the confiscation of assets if it's ill-gotten money, however, if it's PROVEN it's legitimate and is still confiscated, it doesn't sit well with me. Even in these circumstances, I don't believe they should be allowed to sell anything until he's been proven guilty. Who gives a if they're worried about depreciation or don't have storage space. They should have thought about that when they introduced such legislation.

Also, to the comment in regards to the decrease in taxes. WTF? I can see them coming out in the next budget and telling everyone in QLD they can thank Brett Stevens for the lower taxes this year.

And driving these things on the road? Come ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

Seems that can happen in SA too. My cousin had a bad separation from his ex who then went out with a cop. She convinced the cop that he was a drug dealer and a nutter who'd been sectioned a couple of times and next thing you know my cousin had been raided more than 6 times and trashed his house and arrested over 23 times with no charges, EVERYTHING he owns/owned has been confiscated including all his ID etc. and he's basically left living on his mates couches and in his car with no income cos he can't even get on the dole cos he's got no ID or address. The cops sold everything off and destroyed his ID so now he has to start again. He fought it and got the cop boyfriend and his partner in trouble but the harassment etc. didn't stop. In the end the 2 cops lost their jobs over it, 2 more were suspended but every time he goes to a lawyer to get some representation and compensation it seems within weeks the lawyers drop him like a hot potato with no explanation like they've been warned off or something. I have more details that I won't go into here but it's all very fishy. My cousin is innocent of all accusations (as far as I know and am concerned) yet he's been well and truly shafted by the SA police. Bottom line, I guess, is don't mess with the authorities cos they can pretty much ruin your existence if they want to.

Bushbasher

[302 XC]

the government wouldnt just take them without any cause
someone must have been investigating him to get some sort of evidence against him
the government just doesnt walk in and take your possesion without reason
you dance with the devil u get burnt

[Bushbasher]

Perleeeaaasssseeee, the police aren't the govt, they are just supposed to be overseen by the govt. but we all know they aren't overseen all that closely till the chit hits the fan over something and all the time they can keep something out of the media then they can pretty much get away with murder.

As for my cousin, raided 6 times with dogs etc. and never anything found; arrested 23 times and tossed in the cells and never a charge laid. No evidence has ever been produced or even alluded to. Near as I can figure his only guilt is by association as he has friends who are bikers and did some business with some people a while back that proved, subsequently, to be dodgy themselves. Everything was proceeding as you'd expect till he went after the boyfriend and his partner and that's when it all began to get out of control. Like I said, those 2 lost their jobs and 2 others were suspended but his stuff had already been taken by then. But there are things like a collection of Bradman bats that he'd collected over the years and other memorabilia that got taken and supposedly sold yet there's no evidence of them going to auction or anything, they've just vanished. All very sus if you ask me. I've quizzed him more than once cos I reckoned there had to be more to it too but he swears there's not. I'm sure there's probably something he's not saying but regardless of that, with NO EVIDENCE AND NO CHARGES LAID where do they get off cleaning him out and ruining his life?


Bushbasher

[Melz]

Didn't original reports say that the 'manufacturing equipment' was found on the property? (don't quote me)

But 'hypothetically', his drag racing operation could have been run on the proceeds of a crime, in which I thought the authorities had all rights to seize property?

[302 XC]

wether its the police or government,somebody has told somebody or somebody heard something or maybe he pi**ed somebody off
whoever (for a better word)just doesnt walk of the street and take people possesion for no reason
they would have been investigating the matter they (police or government or whoever)dont just pick houses at random
youll find even the best dealers/crooks get caught because people have big mouths
if the press was found in his possesion and or he is found guilty of dealing/manufacturing i hope he gets wat he deserves
i heard a whisper that ANDRA(or watever they are called )are striping him of his titles

[GT-E]

I think it is great that he has to prove where the money came from to prove legitimate ownership.
If the case falls apart and he is letoff, lets hope that his ill gotten gains are put into the public coffers. Drug dealers/makers are the true scum of the earth.