Buddle’s accused Vic accomplices revealed
The identities of three men allegedly part of a plot by Australia’s most wanted man to import $40m of cocaine into Victoria can be revealed.
Police & Courts
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The identities of the men who allegedly worked with Australia’s most wanted man, Mark Buddle, in a plot to import $40m worth of cocaine into Victoria can be revealed for the first time.
Edward Cannobbio, 31, Youssef Alateyah, 28, and Jaiden Russell, 26, were among dozens of accused gunslingers, drug traffickers and bikies swept up in the ANOM “sting of the century” to face court on Friday.
Mr Cannobbio, Mr Alateyah and Mr Russell were arrested by federal police officers in June last year over their alleged involvement in a plot to import 160kg of cocaine from Hong Kong into Melbourne, via Sydney.
The accused men were charged as part of Operation Ironside’s South-Brittanic investigation – the same probe was snared Comanchero boss Buddle in North Cyprus earlier this month.
Following a high-stakes extradition from Turkey, Buddle was charged with two offences – importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug and conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug – after arriving on Australian soil.
Each offence carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
His three co-accused, plus a fourth NSW man, are charged with one count of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of cocaine in June last year.
And a sixth man, a Melbourne truckie, described as a “trusted insider”, was also arrested as part of the Brittanic operation.
The 55-year-old was allegedly a key figure in the major cocaine shipment Buddle is accused of orchestrating.
That man is charged with aiding and abetting the importation of a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs.
Buddle did not appear in court on Friday alongside more than 40 accused men and women faces charges related to the ANOM sting.
In a joint committal mention in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday, commonwealth prosecutors said they were still waiting on expert evidence relating to the encrypted app to be delivered.
The court heard a third, independent expert witness was drawing up a statement concerning the ANOM app, which is expected to be relied upon in an upcoming trial in South Australia.
Magistrate Simon Zebrowski adjourned all matters until November 4, so legal counsel for each accused had a chance to obtain what was described as a “very significant” statement.
Buddle, who remains behind bars in maximum security prison, will return to court on November 29.
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