Nathan Bertucci: Woongarrah father denied bail for alleged 200kg ice importation

A young father from the Central Coast will remain behind bars after he was accused of attempting to import 200kg worth of the drug ice.

Nathan Bertucci was denied bail after allegedly trying to import $150m worth of the drug ice into Melbourne. Picture: Facebook

Thirty-two mobile phones and $100,000 cash were allegedly found in the Central Coast home of a man who police allege imported $150 million worth of the drug ice into Melbourne.

Father Nathan Bertucci, 33, was denied bail at Central Local Court on Wednesday in front of his wife and parents after he was arrested last month.

Bertucci was charged with importing 200kg of methamphetamine from Canada in April 2019, following a joint investigation by the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Border Force, the Department of Home Affairs and others.

Cargo seized by police for investigation. Picture: AFP

Investigators alleged a Central Coast-based criminal syndicate was responsible for the large ice importation.

The court heard the police statement of facts was 33-pages long and that the case largely relied on phone calls, emails and other electronic communications.

Police allege Bertucci “piggybacked” off a legitimate Melbourne-based whitegoods company in attempting to avoid law enforcement catching on to the illegal delivery.

Nathan Bertucci was denied bail. Picture: Facebook

Police seized the shipment when it arrived in Melbourne in 2019, and found the black plastic-wrapped cardboard boxes did not in fact contain whitegoods but rather bags of high-purity methamphetamine.

Police alleged in court Bertucci had used a fake ID in some dealings with the whitegoods company, communicated with a logistics company regarding the consignment via email and paid for logistics related to the consignment.

Some of the 200kg drugs seized by police. Picture: AFP

Another person then made the payment for the consignment.

During a search warrant at his Woongarrah home in November last year, police allegedly found $100,000 cash, 32 mobile phones (three of which were encrypted), four laptops, fake ID material which police allege was linked to the importations, a money counting machine and a quantity of steroids, for which he is not charged.

$1.5 million cash seized from “safe house” in October. Picture: AFP

At a rented Carlingford premises, which police allege was used as a “safe house” by the syndicate, police also allegedly seized $1.5 million in October.

Bertucci’s lawyer Ian Lloyd QC said there were problems with the police case, which was “clearly defensible” and that the case relied on circumstantial evidence only.

He said it was possible that a friend also named in police documents could have been sending some of the emails, which allegedly implicated Bertucci.

But police allege Bertucci was using a VPN and encrypted phones in his communications.

Nathan Bartucci. Picture: Supplied

The family offered up a security of $500,000.

Magistrate Greg Elks found the prosecution case was strong and said Bertucci had not shown why his detention was not justified.

He was denied bail.

Bertucci will return to court in March.