Gjelosh Nikollaj granted bail after alleged AN0M plot to import two tonnes of drugs

Despite the accused Mr Big of NSW’s “terror caravan” plot fleeing overseas, a fellow alleged drug trafficker – also arrested due to the ANOM app sting – was granted bail in the Supreme Court this week.

A Sydney man arrested in the AN0M sting after allegedly trying to import almost two tonnes of drugs into NSW has been granted bail just days after police identified another AN0M accused had masterminded the terror caravan plot after fleeing the country while on bail.

Despite police fearing Gjelosh Nikollaj could flee the country after he was charged over an alleged plan to import between 1.6 to 1.7 tonnes of drugs into Sydney – he was granted bail in the Supreme Court this week.

Nikollah, 62, was arrested in the Australian Federal Police’s Operation Ironside sting and charged with conspiring to import a commercial quantity of drugs using the messaging app AN0M almost four years ago.

The AN0M app. Picture: AFP

His release came as another AN0M accused, Sayet Akca, was revealed as the face the Dural terror caravan plot as a bargaining tool to get back home to his family, after fleeing the country while on bail for similar offences.

Police allege that in May 2021, Nikollah conspired with another person using the AN0M app to import almost two tonnes of either coke or heroin into Australia by sea freight.

Nikollah, allegedly using the handle “tennis”, discussed shipping the drugs – hidden in toilet paper rolls – into Australia via Port Kembla with another person on the app.

The alleged plot came just two months after he finished a 10-year prison sentence for conspiring to import 161kg of MDMA, which had a street value between $24 million and $48 million.

He has been refused bail since his arrest in June of that year and on Thursday again argued for his release.

Sayet Ethan Akca, 35, was allegedly hoping to benefit from turning over information about the “fabricated terrorist plot” to the AFP.

With his case not set to go to trial until next year, his lawyers argued his time in custody – measuring over five years – was “out of the ordinary”.

However, the prosecution raised fears he would offend again if released, or flee the country given he is a citizen of Montenegro.

Supreme Court judge Justice Dina Yehia granted his release however, saying while there “was a risk” he would fail to reappear in court, a $3 million surety, an ankle monitor and home detention would work to reduce those fears.

Another man arrested in the AN0M blitz, Mostafa Baluch, also tried to flee the country in 2021 after he was caught up in the accused however was found hidden in the boot of a Mercedes at the Queensland border.