Second SA man charged over ‘Ghost’ app was in Queensland when home raided, court hears

The second South Australian man charged after a nationwide encrypted app sting has told a court he had multiple opportunities to flee.

The second South Australian charged with drug offences over the encrypted ‘Ghost’ app sting is merely a “delivery type person” who could have fled the country but didn’t, his lawyer says.

Sahand Sabermanesh, 39, said he was in Brisbane when his Torrens Park home was raided by officers from the Australian Federal Police earlier this week, but he flew home as soon as he received word of the investigation.

Michael Woods, for Mr Sabermanesh, told the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday afternoon his client could have made many attempts to abscond while he was interstate, but instead chose to fly back to Adelaide and face the charges.

Sahand Sabermanesh (centre) is the second South Australian charged with drug offences over the encrypted ‘Ghost’ app sting. Picture: 7NEWS

Mr Sabermanesh has been charged with two counts of trafficking in a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug and two counts of possessing a controlled precursor.

His arrest came amid a nationwide AFP operation which targeted sellers and users of a new encrypted app used for criminal communications called “Ghost”.

The AFP said during the search at Mr Sabermanesh’s home, investigators allegedly located 440g of methamphetamine, 2.2kg of sodium borohydride and 27.2kg of methylamine – both of which are precursor substances used in the manufacturing of illicit drugs.

He was arrested at the Adelaide Airport upon returning from Brisbane on Wednesday.

Mr Woods described the Ghost app as being like that of AN0M, another encrypted communications app that resulted in nearly 400 people being arrested across the country under Operation Ironside in 2021.

Items seized during a raid of a Torrens Park home by the AFP. Picture: AFP

He asked Magistrate Ben Sale to release his client on bail, subject to home detention conditions.

“The charges are serious, there’s no doubt about that. It’s part of these new AN0M – now Ghost – charges we’re going into. So it is a serious matter and there will be obvious delays in working out all of the mechanics that have happened with all of this,” Mr Woods said.

“Time in custody would be extremely long. I can say that his role, after seeing the allegations, does not seem to be one of a higher level. It looks like he is more of a delivery type person.

“He’s a hardworking man, he’s single, he has no children. He has a stable residence and his next-door neighbour is a solicitor who actually contacted me to act for him, and more importantly is that yesterday we received a call that the police were raiding his home in Torrens Park, and Mr Sabermanesh was in Brisbane.

Another item seized during the raid. Picture: AFP

“He had plenty of opportunities to escape the jurisdiction. I spoke to him last night, we knew what flight he was on, he complied. He returned to South Australia and he appeared with police.”

Danielle Thomas, for the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, told the court she was not opposed to home detention bail.

In court documents, police allege that between March 10 and September 17 this year, Mr Sabermanesh had been trafficking in large commercial quantities of both cocaine and methamphetamine.

They further allege he possessed quantities of controlled precursor chemicals, namely Sodium Borohydride and Methylamine.

Mr Sale remanded Mr Sabermanesh in custody and ordered a home detention bail report. He will return to court next week to hear the outcome of his bail application.

His arrest comes just a day after popular Adelaide identity Jack Park Sauer, 33, was charged following the same AFP operation.

Originally published as Second SA man charged over ‘Ghost’ app was in Queensland when home raided, court hears