Vic: Federal police agent in court on drugs charges

AAP General News (Australia)
12-17-2001
Vic: Federal police agent in court on drugs charges

Eds: Changes keyword from DRUGS POLICE



MELBOURNE, Dec 17 AAP - A 28-year-old federal police agent charged with drug trafficking
was allegedly on his way to pick up ecstasy pills when his colleagues arrested him, a
court was told today.

Melbourne Magistrates Court was also told that just two days before his weekend arrest,
Stuart Lyal was secretly recorded saying he had used cocaine after his shift at work had
finished.

Lyal, of South Yarra, is facing 10 charges, including possessing ecstasy and cocaine
and trafficking ecstasy.

He faces a further commonwealth charge of releasing proscribed information after he
allegedly told people he was dealing with about federal police methods of surveillance
and covert operations.

Lyal, a federal agent of three years standing, was arrested by his colleagues at 1.40am
on Saturday in Flinders Street, inner-city Melbourne.

Police allege Lyal trafficked ecstasy mainly in the city's dance party scene and sourced
the drug from both Melbourne and interstate.

Prosecutor Matthew Phillips said federal police received the tip-off from a registered
informant in April that an unknown federal agent was selling drugs in Melbourne's dance
scene.

Lyal has been released on a $20,000 surety and is due to reappear in the court on April
5 next year.

Thirteen other people in Melbourne and interstate have been implicated in the network.

AAP nl/szp/gfr/las/bwl

KEYWORD: LYAL

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