Dru Baggaley denied bail ahead of retrial over alleged coke smuggling after drugs allegedly found in jail cell

The brother of an Olympic kayaker who is facing a retrial over an alleged attempt to smuggle $200m of cocaine into Australia has been denied bail after an alleged discovery in his jail cell that a judge says “loomed darkly” over his plea for release.

Dru Baggaley on a high-speed boat allegedly trying to smuggle $200m worth of cocaine into Australia.

An array of drugs and a mobile phone were allegedly discovered in Dru Baggaley’s prison cell just one month after he won a retrial over allegations he attempted to smuggle hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into Australia.

Baggaley, who has been in custody for six years over the alleged importation plot, was refused bail in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday with a judge saying the fresh allegations of drug offending while behind bars “loomed darkly” over his plea for release.

Justice Melanie Hindman said it was alleged that when corrections officers went to inspect Baggaley’s cell on January 9, he jammed the locking mechanism in a bid to keep them out.

It’s alleged Baggaley then flushed a mobile phone down the toilet which was later recovered from the prison’s plumbing.

Justice Hindman said it was alleged guards discovered a number of contraband items in Baggaley’s cell including 100 strips of suboxone, Valium tablets, a phone charger, and a packet labelled “coke”.

FA still of navy footage of Dru Baggaley on board the boat.

He has been issued with a notice to appear in relation to that alleged offending.

The offer of a $500,000 surety was not enough to secure Baggaley’s release on bail, with Justice Hindman finding there were no conditions that could be imposed to sufficiently ameliorate the risk of him fleeing the jurisdiction or further offending.

Baggaley, along with his Olympian brother Nathan Baggaley, are accused of involvement in a failed plot to smuggle 650kg of cocaine worth about $200 million into Australia in 2018.

Dru and another man were arrested at sea after they were allegedly spotted collecting packages of cocaine dropped by a larger ship.

The Baggaley brothers were found guilty at trial in 2021 but both have since won fresh trials on appeal, with their convictions set aside.

Dru Baggaley.

Justice Hindman said it was submitted that Dru would give evidence at his retrial that he was not the primary instigator of the alleged importation plot and that he believed the packages contained tobacco.

She noted that if convicted, he would likely be required to serve at least another decade on top of the six years he has already spent in custody.

Justice Hindman described the case against Baggaley as “neutral”, finding it was not weak or strong and there were reasonable paths open to conviction and acquittal.

A date for the retrial is yet to be set and the matter will be mentioned again on April 17.