More than 30 people arrested during Operation Ironside face court for second time as some identities are suppressed
Millions of AN0M messages will take months to comb through, prosecutors have said during a mass hearing of people charged in the global sting.
Police & Courts
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The youngest South Australian arrested during Operation Ironside has faced court – along with more than 30 accused – during a mass hearing.
Apostle Broikos, 18, of Burnside, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday – in the same week he was released on home detention bail.
Mr Broikos is charged with manufacturing a large commercial quantity of methylamphetamine with multiple co-accused over a clandestine laboratory at Morphett Vale – allegedly one of the biggest uncovered in South Australia.
Prosecutors allege he was “the distributor of each and every AN0M handset used by those associated with the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle gang”.
The encrypted app, which was being monitored by police, was the centrepiece of the international law enforcement sting that resulted in hundreds of worldwide arrests.
Magistrate John Wells asked Mr Broikos’ mother, Monika Broikos, how things had been going since her son had returned home.
“I remind you of your responsibilities as guarantor to ensure he continues to obey those,” Mr Wells said.
Mr Wells also spoke directly to Mr Broikos, saying he was “very fortunate to be granted home detention bail”.
“I urge you to continue to obey your conditions. If you disobey your conditions you know what the consequence will be,” he said.
Mr Broikos responded to say he understood but outside court remained tight-lipped.
The court heard one of the conditions of his bail agreement included that he only own one mobile phone and must hand it over – along with any passwords – if requested by police.
Mr Broikos on Wednesday posted a selfie to social media showing his ankle bracelet alongside the words “home sweet home”.
Craig Caldicott, for Mr Broikos, sought a suppression on his client’s identity, despite admitting the young man’s case already had been widely reported.
But Mr Wells said there had been “significant publicity” since Mr Broikos’ arrest and declined to grant the application.
Numerous other alleged offenders also sought, and were granted, suppression orders.
During the mass hearing, several of those charged indicated they would enter guilty pleas to the charges, while others maintained they would contest the allegations.
Operation Ironside led to charges of conspiracy to murder, extensive drug manufacturing, money laundering and firearm possession.
Some of the accused are facing single charges, while others have been charged with multiple offences.
Police have also confirmed that arrests stemming from the operation had been happening for months before “resolution day” on June 7.
Among those appearing in court on Thursday included Eddie Kadan, 40, who was extradited from Lidcombe in NSW.
His co-accused Andrew Sankey, who was living in the Sydney suburb of Rhodes, also appeared after being flown to Adelaide.
They are each charged with trafficking in a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug at Yamba in April and May this year.
They join Apostle Broikos, Christine Michelle Pepe and several others charged with that offending.
During a separate hearing on Wednesday, prosecutors explained they would seek a five-month adjournment – to a date in December – to allow time to gather evidence before determining which charges would proceed against each accused.
“In this matter, and indeed every matter except for the two conspiracy to murders, the Director (of Public Prosecutions) is seeking a charge determination date in five months,” they said.
“The reason the director is seeking five months … is that there is a review to be done of thousands, if not millions, of messages in respect of each file.”
Prosecutors said each of the drugs charges would require lab testing and a certificate of analysis and that a five-month adjournment was a “stock standard” to gather evidence.
They expected investigators would be doing “a lot more work in that same period of time”.
Magistrate John Wells said the time frame was “much shorter than I had anticipated”.
Many of the accused will next face court in December, while others are expected to return to court in February next year.
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