Malcolm John Hancock fronted Gunnedah Local Court for the first time this week, where magistrate Peter Thompson issued a stern warning after the young man pleaded guilty to a single drug charge.

"You should be under no illusion this is a serious charge," Mr Thompson told Hancock.

"On the facts before me, your role is that you purchased the items and you were going to onsell them."

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Mr Thompson said he expected Hancock may have been planning on taking about 56g of the drug known as MDMA back into his remote hometown community of Walgett.

The offender will front court for sentencing later this year, and Mr Thompson warned the young man to be "prepared on the next occasion" for a jail sentence.

Hancock pleaded guilty to supplying illicit drugs; while a back-up charge and a third charge were dropped in court.

Defence solicitor Tammy White handed up documents to the magistrate including Hancock's criminal record and the police facts.

"[Hancock is] a young man who, for the first time, has been caught up in this type of offending," she said.

Mr Thompson asked Ms White what the quantity of the illegal drugs were that Hancock was caught with, and the court heard it was about 56g of MDMA, or what he thought was about two ounces.

Mr Thompson warned Hancock he was caught with a "significant quantity" of drugs that added up to about half of what is considered to be a commercial quantity of MDMA.

He ordered Hancock to appear in person in Gunnedah later this year for sentencing.

The police case was that a station wagon was stopped on the side of the Kamilaroi Highway, about 15km north of Gunnedah, about 7.50pm on June 19 when passing highway patrol officers pulled up to help, thinking the car was broken down.

Police claim they had cause to search the vehicle after speaking with the occupants, and Hancock was arrested and charged.

He was released from custody after his arrest, and his bail was continued.

The case was adjourned.

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