Cairns crime: Cocaine committal hearing begins for Formica, Forni, Khoder and Machem

A case that began with a crashed Cessna destined for Mareeba carrying 549kg of cocaine almost two years ago reached court in Cairns on Monday with a committal hearing against four men.

THE pilot of a Cessna aircraft carrying 549kg of cocaine on all ill-fated trip to Mareeba was allegedly threatened by a rival crime syndicate to pay $400,000 of $500,000 he earned on a previous drug import, a Cairns court heard on Monday.

The first day of what is expected to be a marathon series of committal hearings began against Salvatore Formica, Pierino Forni, Aiden Anis Khoder and George Machem before Magistrate Kevin Priestly on Monday.

Mr Formica is charged with importing a commercial quanity of cocaine and conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of cocaine.

Mr Forni is charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of cocaine and dealing with more than $1m in drug money.

A Cessna twin engine plane crashed near Port Moresby carrying 559kg of cocaine. Picture: supplied.

Mr Khoder is charged with aiding or abetting importing a commercial quantity of cocaine, conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of cocaine, dealing with more than $1m in drug money, dealing in more than $100,000 that is proceeds of crime, and directing the activities of a criminal organisation.

Mr Machem is charged with supporting a criminal organisation and conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of cocaine.

It is alleged the syndicate successfully imported 400kg of cocaine worth $90m from PNG to Mareeba in August 2018 and repeated the exercise in July 2020 with 549kg on board – but the overloaded plane crashed in PNG.

Commonwealth prosecutor Daniel Caruana told the court it was alleged the flight took off from Mareeba, stopped at Coen, then flew low with the flight transponder turned off.

The court heard that after the crash, pilot David Cutmore, 52, allegedly stashed the drugs in mangroves and arrived at the Australian Consulate asking to be handed over to Australian Federal Police.

Police making arrests at Atherton on August 1, 2020. Picture: supplied

It has been alleged in previously lodged court documents that Mr Cutmore was offered $2m for three planned flights.

Mr Cutmore has been charged in PNG with two counts of smuggling prohibited goods. He is not facing charges in Australia.

Representing Mr Khoder, barrister Mark Gumbleton cross examined a Detective from the Queensland Joint Organised Crime Taskforce who had interviewed Mr Cutmore in PNG.

“The interview went nowhere as to explaining what the plane was doing or where the cargo was,” Det Sen Const Small told the court.

Mr Gumbleton asked Det Sen Const Small if Mr Cutmore mentioned a threat to his life unless he paid $400,000 to a crime syndicate.

Members of an alleged Melbourne-based criminal syndicate have been charged for conspiring to import more than 500kg of cocaine from PNG into Australia. Picture: supplied

“There was a general fear expressed of the other syndicate, I don’t know that it was a shut down, there was a general uneasiness from him to talk about it,” Det Sen Const Small said.

“We were never able to obtain information from him.”

Earlier, the court heard two men called ‘Anthony’ and ‘John’ inspected four large acreage properties on flat land at Cooktown, with one of the men telling the real estate agent it was “for his parents”.

The hearing is expected to last eight days and be one of several chapters of committal hearings to determine if there is enough evidence for the accused to stand trial.

Originally published as Cairns crime: Cocaine committal hearing begins for Formica, Forni, Khoder and Machem