Kerry Wayne Keillor pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a string of illicit drug supply charges related to an operation uncovered by the Murray River Police District's serious crime unit.

An authorised tap of Keillor's mobile phone uncovered a coding system he used to sell cannabis, referring to "sandwiches", "tools", "Boston buns" and "CDs", as well as "chickens and eggs".

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Police were able to decipher the codes being used due to the sheer number of calls, Albury Local Court was told.

Director of Public Prosecutions representative Mary-Beth McFarlane withdrew 68 mainly drug supply charges against the Brocklesby man on Tuesday.

With that, Keillor, 68, of Main Street, pleaded guilty to 16 charges of supply a prohibited drug, at greater than a small but less than an indictable quantity.

He admitted also to charges of directing a criminal group, possessing an unregistered firearm, possess a firearm whilst unlicensed, not keep a firearm safely and possess a prohibited drug, namely cannabis oil.

The court heard that Keillor accepted he most likely faced full-time jail for his offending, conducted over the five months to November.

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Magistrate Miranda Moody was told the investigation, begun last June, soon determined Keillor was "involved in the significant supply of cannabis in Albury and surrounding local townships".

He bought large quantities of the drug from hydroponic growers in the area, then on-sold to "multiple customers".

Police were able to identify Keillor's voice and that of his co-accused, again due to the large number of calls.

Keillor supplied, or agreed to supply, a total of 4.042 kilograms of cannabis, spread across 131 separate deals.

Police issued him a court attendance notice at his home on November 18 on a charge of cultivating cannabis, then interviewed him about the possession of a bolt-action .22 firearm with the capacity to hold a magazine, which could not be found.

The gun was hidden under a mattress.

He made partial admissions to the drug matters when police returned on December 3.

"The accused stated he directed his son to supply cannabis on his behalf when he was not at home."

Keillor, who is free on bail, will be sentenced on May 25.

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