Court case against four sailors accused of importing $250m of cocaine delayed
Australia’s biggest-ever cocaine bust – worth in excess of $250m – has sparked a nine-month court delay.
Police & Courts
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Investigators need until January 2023 to gather and finalise all evidence against four sailors accused of importing $250m of cocaine into Australia, a court has heard.
On Thursday, the Adelaide Magistrates Court was told the record-sized bust had generated an extremely large workload for Australian Federal Police.
Commonwealth prosecutors asked the state’s chief magistrate, Judge Mary-Louise Hribal, to adjourn the case for at least nine months.
“This is a significant brief (of evidence), a large shipment and an investigation involving multiple agencies,” they said.
“It will take up to six months for the substance itself to be tested, and there are 30 digital devices that need to be forensically examined.”
That request drew the ire of counsel for the men, all of whom are in custody.
They asked the court to order the immediate release of the AFP’s post-arrest interviews with their clients, saying those discussions were “incredibly relevant to the course” each case would take.
Ian Gelan Dizon, 33, Alcris Dente Mabini, 42, and their co-accused Mark Torrenueva Enriquez and Angelito Devalaque Balansag were arrested last month.
Each has yet to plead to charges of importing or exporting a border control drug or plant, arising from Australian Federal Police’s Operation Lithgow.
It is alleged the four, all sailors from the Kypros Bravey bulk carrier, brought Chinese cocaine to Australia and dumped it at a predetermined spot off the Yorke Peninsula.
Australian Border Force located the drugs six days later, and estimated their street value to be in excess of $250 million.
On Thursday, each of the men appeared by video link and observed proceedings with the aid of an interpreter.
One of the men told the court his English was “pretty good” but he wanted the interpreter “so I understand all the legal terms used”.
Prosecutors said the interview transcripts sought by defence counsel would not be available until May.
In the meantime, they provided indexed USB drives of the evidence gathered so far.
Judge Hribal said nine months was too great an adjournment, and ordered the men answer the charges in December.
She further ordered the case return to court in June in order to check on the progress of investigators.
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