Operation Ironside accused Andrew Paul Sankey said he ‘lost millions’ when police seized 10kg of meth at Yamba, court hears

An Operation Ironside accused lamented he had “lost millions” when police seized 10kg of methylamphetamine during a traffic stop, court hears.

An Operation Ironside accused allegedly said he had “lost millions” and would have “big problems” after police seized 10kg of methylamphetamine bound for South Australia, a court has heard.

Sydney man Andrew Paul Sankey, 43, was extradited to Adelaide following his arrest as part of the worldwide police sting in June.

He appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court seeking release on home detention bail, which was refused.

During the hearing, a prosecutor said Mr Sankey – who allegedly went by the nickname “kingpin” on the AN0M app which was being secretly monitored by law enforcement – had “incurred a significant debt” when the drugs were seized at Yamba in May.

The prosecutor said he sent a message which read: “I have lost millions, this is going to cause me big problems now” in the wake of the seizure.

She told the court other messages Mr Sankey sent on the app included discussions about future drug transactions, which were relevant to assessing his risk of reoffending and compliance with bail conditions.

Cash seized during South Australia’s Operation Ironside arrests. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

“There might be a motive for Mr Sankey to delve back into his criminal activities,” she said.

Mr Sankey is yet to enter a plea to a charge of trafficking a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug.

The prosecutor said a mobile phone with the app was found in the bedroom of Mr Sankey’s Sydney home.

Mr Sankey was seeking bail to live at an address with a woman who was renting.

The prosecutor said the landlord of the property “does not want another person to reside at those premises, be it Mr Sankey or anyone else”.

But David Edwardson QC, for Mr Sankey, said his client was able to stay at the property for 14 days as a guest before a formal agreement would need to be reached with the landlord.

“If the landlord says no, we will go to the tribunal,” he said.

He said Mr Sankey was not a flight risk, intended to move to SA with his partner and any concerns could be ameliorated by imposing strict conditions on a home detention bail agreement.

He said his client was likely to spend “an inordinate amount of time in custody” if he was not released ahead of a future trial, which was unlikely before 2023.

Magistrate John Wells refused bail for multiple reasons including that the address was inappropriate.

Mr Sankey returns to court in December.

Originally published as Operation Ironside accused Andrew Paul Sankey said he ‘lost millions’ when police seized 10kg of meth at Yamba, court hears