AN IPSWICH dad described as one of the hardest working volunteers during last year's floods was the boss of a drug trafficking syndicate netting sales of up to $10 million a year, a court has been told.

The Brisbane Supreme Court was told Christopher Ronald Cooke, then aged 26, was trafficking large quantities of marijuana trucked in from South Australia over an almost two-year period and made between $3 million and $10 million selling it on the illicit drug market.

Prosecutors said Cooke was charged with possessing more than 38kg of marijuana when police intercepted a shipment at Salisbury, west of Brisbane, and raided an Ipswich property in December 2009.

The court was told that apart from being a convicted drug trafficker Cooke, a married father of one, was an otherwise model citizen and hard worker - particularly in his efforts as a volunteer in Ipswich during the floods.

Justice Peter Applegarth, in sentencing Cooke to 7½ year's jail, said: "You come from a good community in Ipswich.

"You helped out during the Ipswich floods.

"You've been described as one of the hardest workers people had seen (during those floods)."

Cooke, now aged 30, today pleaded guilty to one count of drug trafficking and two of possessing a dangerous drug between February 20, 2008 and December 16, 2009.

Prosecutor David Nardone said Cooke was the head of a syndicate trafficking in marijuana - which was transported by trucks driven by an accomplice from SA to Queensland in multiple 453g sealed bags.

Mr Nardone said the drug operation became very profitable over time - with Cooke and his assailants transporting and selling up to 22.6kgs of marijuana each week.

The court was told the annual estimated sales turnover of the drugs trafficked by Cooke could have been as high $10 million.

Mr Nardone said police also seized $110,000 in cash during raids.

Justice Applegarth noted Cooke had already been relieved of property purchased with "ill-gotten gains" by way of Queensland's criminal proceeds forfeiture laws.

"Those ill-gotten gains have been the subject of a (confiscation) order," he said.

"Having been deprived of those ill-gotten gains, you deserve further punishment ... (and) jail is where you must go."

Justice Applegarth ordered Cooke be eligible for parole from December 16, 2014.