Man charged over botched 900kg coke import plan alleged to have procured placement of “bombs”, “IEDs” in businesses, court told

Allegations against a man charged over an alleged plot to import 900kg of cocaine into Australia – which ended up washing up across the east coast – have been detailed in court.

The alleged Australian ringleader of a botched plan to import 900kg of cocaine, which ended up washing up on beaches along the east coast, allegedly procured others to plant IEDs or “bombs” in residential businesses, a court has been told.

Australian Federal Police allege Daniel Wayne John Roberts is the head of a domestic crime network that organised the collection of the illicit drug using sea routes.

Mr Roberts, 38, was arrested in April last year in connection with the alleged plot to import bricks of cocaine off the coast of Queensland’s Moreton Island in November 2023.

The alleged plan backfired after those accused of being involved failed to collect the drugs from the ocean, resulting in bricks of cocaine washing up on beaches along the NSW coast in late 2023 and into 2024.

The AFP further alleges Mr Roberts, from the Brisbane suburb of Aspley, went by the names of “WANTED” and “John Dillinger” – the same name as the notorious US gangster during the Great Depression – when using dedicated encrypted communication platforms to contract out drug pick-up jobs.

Daniel Wayne John Roberts is alleged to be the Australian leader of a transnational organised crime organisation. Picture: AFP

Mr Roberts is facing a raft of charges, including six related to the alleged importation of commercial quantities of drugs and dealing in proceeds of crime.

He is also facing state charges including arson, wilful damage, carrying dangerous goods in a vehicle, dangerous conduct with a weapon and acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm.

The AFP alleges the state charges relate to using violence and threats to collect debts and intimidate rivals by engaging criminal associates to assault, firebomb, shoot at and extort his customers.

Allegations surrounding these were detailed in Brisbane Supreme Court on Thursday as Mr Roberts applied for bail.

The court was told a seventh charge linked to the alleged importation would be discontinued by the Crown.

Defence barrister Angus Edwards, acting for Mr Roberts, said the full brief had still not been delivered, despite his client having spent more than a year in custody on remand.

Mr Edwards said cross-examination of witnesses would still need to take place at a committal hearing even if a full brief of evidence was delivered by the Crown.

“One can imagine the trial itself will be years away,” he said.

“It’s relatively unusual for someone to sit in custody for a year and one month and still not have a brief and still not have a date by which the full brief is intended to be supplied.”

Mr Roberts had agreed to “strong” bail conditions which would effectively leave him under “house arrest”.

The failed plot allegedly led to bricks of the drug washing up on NSW beaches. Picture: AFP

It is alleged Mr Roberts used nicknames like ‘WANTED’ and ‘John Dillinger’ when using dedicated encrypted communication platforms to contract out drug pick-up jobs. Picture: AFP

Mr Edwards said his client could report to police every day and wear a tracking device, in addition to agreeing to not using devices.

“There is also a condition he must allow access by police to his residential address … for the purpose of searches for compliance with his bail conditions,” Mr Edwards said.

A prosecutor from the Queensland Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions told the court bail was opposed due to Mr Roberts’ alleged risk to Crown witnesses and the “community at large”.

She said some of the allegations against Mr Roberts included him procuring others to plant “improvised explosive devices or bombs” in business premises located in a residential neighbourhood with “no consideration as to the potential for community injury or damage”.

Others included allegations Mr Roberts “outfitted persons with weapons”, including guns.

Justice Declan Kelly refused the bail application, noting the conditions were not sufficient to ameliorate any risk Mr Roberts might pose while on bail.

“The (alleged) state offending reveals far-reaching violent and persistent offending,” Justice Kelly said.

“There is reference to the use of improvised explosive devices, attacks on places of business and residences, and the use of firearms … in furtherance of (alleged) trafficking offending.”

Originally published as Man charged over botched 900kg coke import plan alleged to have procured placement of “bombs”, “IEDs” in businesses, court told