SA court hears how police busted $1.6m cocaine smuggling operation as one of three charged men asks for increased leniency on bail

Intercepted drugs, inert power and hidden cameras caused the downfall of an international criminal network’s Adelaide chapter, a court has heard.

When Australian Border Force and SA Police intercepted 4kg of cocaine, hidden in a smoke machine bound for Athelstone, they did more than just swap the drug for inert powder.

Before carefully rewrapping the machine, they laced it with tiny cameras and microphones so they could record the movements, reactions and responses of those who received the machine.

And so when, hours later, when police say the package was dropped into the back seat of a gold Toyota Aurion, they heard a man’s voice say “drugs” and a second respond “fantastic”.

Hours after that, they had a birds-eye view of two men unscrewing the machine and, with gloved hands, carefully removed the supposedly-valuable but actually worthless powder.

Police allege one of the men asks “Should I put it in the bathtub and wash it?” to which the other replies “yes”.

Officers say they watched as the machine was carried to a sink and ran under water – then, as the first man asked “should I wash this side, too?”, they kicked in the front door.

A block of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $1.6m, seized during a sting operation. Picture: SA Police

David John Thomas Rickerby outside court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Roy VanDerVegt

Police claim the gloved men fled in separate directions – one threw the powder into a neighbouring yard and his latex gloves on to the roof of the house next door.

The second jumped several fences, and ran through the backyards of several properties, until officers cut him off, arrested him and found his gloves nearby.

In the Adelaide Magistrates Court this week, prosecutors alleged those two men were Soniard Mrishaj and Ilirjan Kolaj, and that the cocaine had been delivered by David John Thomas Rickerby.

The trio were, they alleged, part of a “sophisticated international criminal network” – one that had pulled off successful deliveries before, completely undetected.

Officers had, they alleged, found $504,000 cash, vacuum-seal bags, a heat press and more cocaine in the house, along with signs that drugs had been processed there before.

In the gold Toyota, they alleged, was a face mask from which a DNA sample was obtained – a swab that was a 100-billion-to-one match to Mr Kolaj.

Soniard Mrishaj outside court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Roy VanDerVegt

Unhappy freedom

Mr Kolaj, 28, of Seaton, Mr Mrishaj, 37, of Findon, and Mr Rickerby, 24, of Broadview, have yet to plead to numerous drug trafficking charges.

Previously, the court has heard Mr Kolaj and Mr Rickerby had written to prosecutors “seeking to negotiate” the charges against them.

Counsel for Mr Mrishaj, meanwhile, have told the court they are still awaiting the full brief of evidence against their client.

The charges arise from a joint ABF/SA Police sting operation at Mr Mrishaj’s home address in March last year.

The trio were granted home detention bail days later, but Mr Mrishaj made several unsuccessful attempts to have his release conditions relaxed.

Electronic monitoring was, he said, preventing him rehabbing an ankle injury while a ban on surfing the internet was inhibiting his ability to work.

Prosecutors opposed any change, saying Mr Mrishaj had withdrawn $200,000 from his account and transferred it overseas – sparking fears he may attempt to flee.

He was allowed back on the internet but not spared monitoring – last month, he ran into oncoming traffic outside court to avoid media cameras.

Ilirjan Kolaj outside court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Roy VanDerVegt

Inflexible bail

On Monday, James Caldicott, for Mr Kolaj, asked his client’s bail be loosened so he, too, could go online and continue his university studies.

He said the “inflexibility” of home detention meant Mr Kolaj was missing out on paid work and so that condition should be lifted.

Mark Alessandrini, prosecuting, said the severity of the charges – and the strength of the case, thanks to the hidden cameras – meant Mr Kolaj’s bail should be left undisturbed.

He outlined the package swap, detailed the conversations caught on camera, the events of the arrest and the contents of Mr Mrishaj’s house and Mr Kolaj’s car.

“We believe Mr Kolaj was working as part of a sophisticated international criminal network importing large, commercial quantities of drugs into South Australia,” he said.

“There is intelligence to suggest this is not the first importation that this accused has played a part in, and there is evidence of previous consignments to that same address.

“Additionally, three days after he was bailed, Mr Kolaj withdrew $58,000 from his personal bank account which, we suggest, seems to indicate a flight risk.”

Mr Caldicott said that was not the case, insisting his client had “withdrawn his life savings” before police froze his accounts “so he could afford to live on home detention”.

Magistrate Michelle Sutcliffe refused Mr Kolaj’s application, saying there was insufficient reason to relax his conditions.

She remanded him on continuing bail to face court again in three weeks’ time.