MARIJUANA MILK BAR COUPLE JAILED

The proprietors of a suburban Melbourne milk bar who turned their
business into a flourishing marijuana market were each jailed
yesterday for six months.

A court was told that the husband and wife, Salah and Aisha Norma
Abdelkader, sold $20 one-gram deals of marijuana to children,
motorists and cyclists who called into their milk bar.

Melbourne Magistrates Court was told the Abdelkaders did about five
deals every day between July, 1999, and January this year when they
were arrested.

A search of the couples' Koornang Road, Carnegie, milk bar and
residence found more than $36,000 in cash, 163 small, plastic zip bags
each containing one-gram deals and three marijuana plants growing on a
balcony.

The court was told that police began a surveillance operation into
Salah Abdulkader, 37, a former Cairo bazaar worker, and his wife, 50,
on January 6 this year. Senior Constable Carly Dare, prosecuting, said
at 4.30pm that day a young man entered the milk bar and soon after he
left police intercepted him and he produced a one-gram deal.

Senior Constable Dare said at 9.30pm that day a young man on a bicycle
arrived, took $20 from his pocket and entered the business and when
later stopped by police he also produced a similar deal.

At 11.37am the next day another young man who pulled up in a van and
left the store 45 seconds later was also found in possession of a
one-gram bag of marijuana.

She said when police raided the premises on January 7, three cash
amounts between $270 and $4290 were found on Salah Abdulkader, while
cash between $660 and $22,000 was hidden in the house.

Senior Constable Dare said Aisha was arrested when she arrived home at
4.20pm and claimed $660 of the money was for Metcards and other cash
was for bills, like newspapers and rent, and expenses.

Julie Sutherland, for Salah Abdulkader, said he turned in
"desperation" to marijuana to ease the extreme pain from a
debilitating muscular condition.

Ms Sutherland said soon after opening the milk bar, customers who saw
him in pain suggested marijuana after steroids had sent him into
uncontrolled rages.

She said customers began asking him for "spare" marijuana and
suggested he could make money.

Salah Abdelkader was not motivated by greed, she said, and claimed
about half of the money seized was from gambling.

Mr Darren Bracken, for Aisha Abdulkader, said she had had an "awful"
childhood and young adulthood and had worked hard at the milk bar.

The couple each pleaded guilty to charges of trafficking marijuana,
possessing marijuana and possessing the proceeds of crime.