A 66-year-old driver who allegedly stashed 200 packs of cannabis in a secret compartment under a ute tray was recruited by a syndicate to funnel the drugs into Queensland, police say.
Detectives from a special drug squad found the packs - worth about $1 million and stashed under a false floor that was welded onto the vehicle's rear - after intercepting the ute last month.
A 66-year-old driver and his female companion were arrested at the time, but released soon after.
But the man has since been charged with multiple offences, including possessing a dangerous drug, after police raided a property at Parkwood on the Gold Coast.
He's been issued with a notice to appear at the Southport Magistrates Court on August 3.
"The allegation will be that he was the driver recruited to bring the drugs up into Queensland," Detective Inspector Lance Vercoe said in Brisbane on Thursday.
He said the pair were fairly nondescript as they travelled in the altered ute.
"I think some of these drug syndicates are very smart in relation to who they employ or recruit, so they're looking for people who don't stand out," he said.
The concealed tray was a hydraulic-operated false cavity made to house the sealed packs, police allege.
While it's not necessarily new for vehicles to be modified to include secret compartments, Det Insp Vercoe said this ute's alterations were professional and sophisticated.
But it was unlikely this vehicle was one of a fleet featuring the secret back tray, he said.
Officers also found some $5000 in cash when they intercepted the ute, which was believed to be travelling to Queensland from South Australia, via NSW.
It's believed the 100-odd kilograms of cannabis was destined for distribution on the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.
The arrest was part of an ongoing effort to thwart drug trafficking networks in Queensland after the conclusion of an eight-month sting.
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