Operation Ironside accused Shane Geoffrey May applies for bail in the Supreme Court

US law enforcement agencies have agreed hold fire on extraditing Australians – including two in SA – facing Operation Ironside charges, a court has heard.

The US Department of Justice has agreed not to extradite any Australians named in FBI indictments related to Operation Ironside until their Australian proceedings have been finalised, the Supreme Court has heard.

Shane Geoffrey May, a 47-year-old former mortgage broke and restaurant owner, is facing 31 charges relating to his alleged role at the helm of a nation spanning organised crime network.

He is also named in an unsealed indictment from the US Attorney for the Southern District of California charging him with racketeering offences related to his alleged distribution of the encrypted AN0M app.

Mr May was refused bail in the Adelaide Magistrates Court last month but on Friday launched a Supreme Court application for a review of the decision to keep him behind bars.

Ironside arrest: Police say the alleged drug kingpin fled the country following the seizure of 50kg of methamphetamine at Port Wakefield in 2021. Picture: SA Police

Marie Shaw KC, for Mr May, told Justice Kevin Nicholson that he client had a close friend willing to put up a $1.4m property as a guarantee should he be released.

Justice Nicholson asked the prosecution whether Mr May would be arrested the second he was granted bail and extradited to the US on the racketeering warrant.

The prosecutor confirmed to the court that an agreement had been made between Australian and US authorities that all Australian’s facing criminal charges as a result of Operation Ironside would not be extradited until their domestic matters were finalised and jail sentences completed.

Mr May was arrested in August this year after 15 months out of Australia.

Justice Nicholson heard that May had left Australia in late April, 2021 and flown to Indonesia via New Zealand.

Andrew Benz outside Adelaide Magistrates court, arrested as part of Operation Ironside in South Australia. He is alleged to have been in contact with Shane Geoffrey May. Picture: David Mariuz

Despite being listed by Australian Border Force as being “off shore”, Mr May was arrested at James Well, a small community south of Ardrossan where he was allegedly living in a beach shack not owned by him.

The court heard that Mr May had allegedly left the country after the seizure of 50kg of methamphetamine in Port Wakefield on April 6.

Messages intercepted by police allegedly showed Mr May discussing with associates whether he should leave Australia and lay low.

In one message read to the court, Mr May is alleged to have acknowledged that there would be “heat” on him for a while.

The prosecutor alleged that a bank account in Mr May’s name was emptied shortly after the seizure as he prepared to leave the country.

Mrs Shaw argued that her client had sleep apnoea and would be unable to use a device to help him sleep while in prison.

Justice Nicholson ordered a report from prison health to cover whether the condition could be treated while in custody.

The case will return to court later this month. Mr May has not entered a plea to any of the charges he is facing.