Cairns crime: Marathon committal hearing for Forni, Khodher, Formica and Machem on cocaine import charges

The alleged members of a Ndrangheta mafia syndicate operating at Mareeba used sophisticated encryption devices common with other criminal syndicates, Cairns Magistrates Court heard.

THE alleged leaders of a Mafia-linked criminal syndicate allegedly planning to import vast quantities of cocaine via Mareeba airport talked on encrypted Ciphr phones with Spanish Movistar accounts, Cairns Magistrates Court heard on Wednesday.

Australian Federal Police Detective Sergeant Daniel Strain told the court how police tracked the movements of members of the alleged gang between Melbourne, Cairns and the Tablelands over two years.

Edge Hill was a favoured location.

But the alleged ability to instantly and permanently erase data from a Ciphr via a duress signal limited their ability to access some communication.

A committal hearing is underway at Cairns Magistrates Court for Salvatore Formica, 34, Pierino Forni, 62, Aiden Anis Khodher, 32 and George Machem, 32, who are charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of cocaine in 2018 and 2020.

George Machem and Aiden Khodher are appearing at an eight day committal hearing in Cairns Magistrates Court. They are among four men charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of cocaine in 2018 and 2020. Picture: Bronwyn Farr.

They were arrested after a Cessna carrying 549kg of cocaine crashed soon after taking off in PNG on July 26, 2020, and alleged PNG associates of the men led authorities to the drugs stashed in mangroves.

The men were arrested in Atherton and Melbourne, with police anticipating the flight and ready to swoop.

Under cross examination from Salvatore Formica’s lawyer Malcolm Thomas, Det Strain said while intercepts did not directly implicate Mr Formica in the successful 2018 black flight or drug trafficking, there were financial queries.

“Money far beyond his declarable income was going through Crown Casino,” Det Strain said.

Mr Formica had two Spanish SIM cards for Ciphr handsets, he said.

Det Strain said police spent weeks reviewing more than 50 digital devices.

The court heard that Aiden Khodher never mentioned cocaine in any intercepted calls, and no hints of drugs or DNA matching anyone was found in a covert search of the plane, which had its seats removed, in 2019.

Det Strain said the men went by codenames such as Captain Morgan and Glenfiddich on their Ciphr phones.

Pilot David Cutmore, who is in detention in PNG and facing drug smuggling, aviation and immigration charges there, allegedly had the codename Top Gun.

The Cessna twin engine left Mareeba airport on July 26, 2020, landed near Port Moresby where more than 500kg of cocaine was loaded – and crashed soon after takeoff. Picture: Supplied

The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions dropped a charge of importing cocaine for Mr Formica, and dropped a charge of dealing with more than $1m in drug money for Mr Forni.

Mr Khodher had a charge of aiding or abetting importing cocaine, dealing with more than $1m in drug money, dealing in more than $100,000 that is proceeds of crime, and directing the activities of a criminal organisation dropped.

Mr Machem had a charge of supporting a criminal organisation dropped.

Cocaine found hidden in mangroves at Lea Lea village in PNG. Picture: AFP.

Now, each of the four now faces two counts of conspiracy to import cocaine – firstly between July 24 and August 30, 2018, at Mareeba, and secondly between August 31, 2018, and July 26, 2020, at Mareeba.

The maximum penalty for these charges is life in prison.

The men have had seven lawyers and their entourages in court, grilling witnesses over the past week, with a further committal hearing expected later this year.

Originally published as Cairns crime: Marathon committal hearing for Forni, Khodher, Formica and Machem on cocaine import charges