Comancheros boss one of 13 accused in $760m cocaine bust
All 11 adults charged over a record-breaking 2.34-tonne cocaine seizure off the Queensland coast have been named.
Police & Courts
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The Comanchero bikie gang has been caught up in Australia’s largest cocaine seizure, with a suspected high-ranking member among 13 people accused of trying to smuggle $760m worth of drugs into Queensland in a broken-down fishing boat.
Police allege Comanchero Brisbane chapter vice-president Ryan Sean Givney, 44, was part of a transnational organised crime syndicate that allegedly sourced 2.34 tonnes of cocaine.
Investigators tracked recreational vessel True Grit that met a “mother ship” in international waters 460km off the Queensland coast to allegedly source the cocaine before it returned to the Queensland coastline.
Eleven men and two juveniles were arrested at the weekend in the joint Australian Federal Police and Queensland police operation codenamed Tyrrendor, which investigators said was launched just last month.
Investigators allege the first boat used by the syndicate broke down before they purchased vessel True Grit for $150,000 late last week – which also broke down on Saturday night.
The fishing boat became stranded about 18km off the northeastern tip of K’gari due to a suspected mechanical breakdown on Saturday.
Tactical officers arrested Givney and another man near the port of Bundaberg, while two other men were also arrested on the stranded boat.
A search of the fishing boat allegedly uncovered 51 bales tied with rope netting. Each bale allegedly contained 40kg of a white substance packaged into 1kg blocks.
Another three men were arrested at a fast-food restaurant in Bundaberg East.
Three more men and two youths were arrested in Bundaberg East during a traffic stop.
Mark Gary Sloan, 51, of Victoria Point was also charged and appeared via video link in Cleveland Magistrates Court on Monday.
He and the 12 others have been charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs.
Magistrate Deborah Vasta refused bail for Sloan, saying there was a possibility of him interfering with witnesses.
The court heard Sloan held a number of meetings at his Victoria Point home, including one on November 30 attended by a group of young men, many in their 20s.
The men left the house in two cars towing two tinnies, the court heard. Police said they intercepted a number of phone calls involving Sloan, with conversations about meeting at “the old fellow’s house” and concerns of hiring a car that could be easily identified.
Magistrate Vasta refused bail saying the operation was planned and the syndicate large enough to be able to buy a $150,000 boat the day after another boat had broken down.
The matter has been adjourned to February 7 in the Brisbane Magistrates Court.
The cases of David John Pffefer and Mark Frederick Sutton were mentioned in Maryborough Magistrates Court on Monday but they did not appear. They were remanded in custody to Hervey Bay on December 4.
Andrew John Bamforth, Ryan Sean Givney, Geovani Marius, Riccardo Marius, Nukutawhiti Tenika Matika, Zaquias Jack Matika, Daniel Schieven and Donald Vilaylath were charged over the bust and had their cases mentioned in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Monday.
They were remanded in custody until December 5.
The alleged haul is believed to be worth $760m and potentially equates to 11.7 million street deals.
AFP Commander Stephen Jay said the cocaine had been sent from South America.
He said the mother ship, which was a large boat, was still subject to investigation and international counterparts were working with the AFP.
“We will allege that two of the people arrested in Bundaberg were Comanchero,” he said of police’s allegations.
“One of them we will allege is the vice-president of the Brisbane chapter of the Comanchero.
“The two gentlemen on the boat were working on behalf of this syndicate, including obviously the Comanchero.”
Commander Jay said investigators did not expect the vessel to break down.
“They certainly didn’t,” he said.
“What we do know is the syndicate had previously attempted to use another vessel and it had broken down as well. They had spent, late last week, $150,000 to purchase a new vessel, so it demonstrates the access to cash.
“With this particular matter we will allege this syndicate had made two attempts with two different boats, both of which have broken down, which goes to the point around just how dangerous it is to do what we will allege what this syndicate attempted to do.”
Commander Jay said it was understood the men were stranded for a few hours in the broken down boat – which had been destined for Bundaberg – before their arrest.
Commander Jay said the NSW Crime Commission was one of the partners involved in the operation.
“I think suffice to say a quantity of drugs this large would have been distributed across the entire country,” he said.
“And obviously a syndicate such as the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle gang provides a means through which that would occur.”
He said the investigation ran for a month.
“It was good work and there was perhaps a degree of good luck that it all played out, (with) the timing that it did,” he said.
“You’re right, quite often these could take years, this has been a very quick operation with exceptional results.
“We will allege significant disruption on a well-entrenched transnational crime syndicate operating in this state and this country.”
Commander Jay said he was unable to comment about whether the men had previously been involved in any other shipments.
“Obviously you don’t stumble into an enterprise like this,” Commander Jay said.
“You need to be vouched for; you need to be part of the network.”
Boat sale advertisements show True Grit recently had a listing price of $165,000.
The advertisement stated it was an ex-water police vessel first commissioned in Western Australia.
“Both engines have undergone extensive rebuilds recently,” the advertisement stated.
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