A driver allegedly caught with a huge haul of MDMA in the back of his vehicle will contest the allegations at a trial.
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Kenneth Peter Wiggett is facing a charge of trafficking a large commercial quantity of MDMA - also known as ecstasy - after allegedly being caught with nearly 20 kilograms of the drug in his car.
Police allegedly found the high-purity drugs, weighing about 19.71 kilograms, in a sports bag during a vehicle stop at Barnawartha.
Highway patrol members had pulled over Wiggett's Toyota Prado in the southbound lanes of the Hume Freeway about 4.50pm on December 7 last year.
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Investigators had received intelligence, which led to a search.
They located an upside down camouflage sports bag on the floor behind the front passenger seat and Wiggett was arrested.
When asked what was inside, the 61-year-old allegedly replied "opals".
Police allegedly found 20 separate vacuum sealed bags containing a brown substance.
An iPhone, wallet and $1010 were also seized.
Detective Senior Constable Justin Foots recently told the Wodonga Magistrates Court police had been unsure if the substance was amphetamine or MDMA, but an analysis showed it was the latter.
Wiggett was allegedly found to have a high-quality fake NSW licence which he had tried to snap after his arrest, bearing a false name and address in Bondi.
A check of the vehicle later showed it had allegedly undergone sophisticated modifications to install a hidden compartment which would not be found without pulling the car apart.
Detective Senior Constable Foots said highway patrol members contacted him as "drug searches of this scale is not their bread and butter".
He spoke to Wiggett about the discovery.
"He said he didn't actually know but he was told they were opals in the bag," the detective said.
A certificate showed it was 19.71 kilograms, "just shy of 20 kilos", he said.
"He told me that he travelled from Sydney that day and there was some mention of the Gold Coast prior to that," Detective Senior Constable Foots said.
Wiggett largely gave a no comment interview.
Other police agencies have spoken to him.
Magistrate Peter Dunn found there was sufficient evidence to place him on trial, which led to a mix up when it came time to enter a plea.
"I plead guilty your honour," Wiggett said before quick interjections from his defence team.
"Ah sorry, not guilty."
He has been in custody since his arrest and did not apply for bail.
The case will return to the Wodonga County Court for a directions hearing at a later date.