AN0M sting accused front mass court hearing

Dozens of feared Victorian bikies and alleged drug traffickers caught up in the global AN0M sting have fronted a mass court hearing.

Dozens of accused gunslingers, drug traffickers and bikies swept up in the global AN0M police sting have fronted Melbourne Magistrates’ Court for a mass hearing.

During a virtual proceeding packed with prosecutors and defence lawyers, Magistrate Simon Zebrowski set future court dates for 44 Victorians who were nabbed during Australia’s largest police sting, Operation Ironside.

Among those appearing via video link from prison on Thursday, was Victorian Comanchero sergeant-at-arms and suspected drug trafficker, Christian Taumoefolau.

Others included Soner Akkus, who had his bail-imposed curfew lifted for one night so he could celebrate his 31st birthday and Comanchero, George Afeaki, 27, who is suspected of dealing commercial amounts of cocaine and methamphetamine.

During the hearing, Mr Zebrowski called on defence counsel to finalise documents.

“The first thing I want to do is flush out the tubes,” he said.

“I want everybody to make it clear to the crown, call it four weeks … to identify to the prosecution outstanding items of disclosure.”

Mr Zebrowski also flagged the Australian Federal Police needed to file their objections to any confidential information being shared with the court before the next hearing.

For almost three years, the AFP and FBI secretly worked together on an encrypted app known as AN0M, which was run by law enforcement, allowing them to decrypt and read communications in real time.

The app was the centrepiece of the international law enforcement sting that resulted in hundreds of worldwide arrests – including dozens in Victoria.

Many of the accused will appear at court again on May 13.