Mark Buddle in glass dock as he fronts Melbourne court after high security flight

Comanchero boss Mark Buddle has fronted a Melbourne court after being extradited on a high security flight from Darwin overnight over the alleged importation of $40 million worth of cocaine.

Comanchero boss Mark Buddle has fronted a Melbourne court after being extradited from Darwin overnight over the alleged importation of $40 million worth of cocaine.

At 10.50am, Buddle, flanked by two custody officers, was escorted into the glass dock in court 1 at Melbourne Magistrates Court for a brief administrative hearing.

Throughout the seven-minute hearing, Buddle stared ahead and remained silent, only standing at the end when asked by the magistrate.

His lawyer Stephen Zahr told the court there were no custody management issues to raise for his client, indicating he had no medical issues.

No details of the allegations against him were aired in court. He did not apply for bail and will return to court on October 26.

Mark Buddle appeared for a brief hearing at Melbourne Magistrates Court. Artwork: Mollie McPherson/NCA NewsWire

Police bundling Buddle onto the plane in Darwin.

He was taken directly off the plan in Melbourne and into an unmarked AFP car.

The proceeding was temporarily halted while Mr Buddle was brought into the courtroom from the holding cells.

Wearing a grey jumper and surgical mask, he looked across the room as he was led into the dock by two prison officers.

Mark Buddle fronted a Melbourne court on Friday.

The bikie, listed in court documents by his full name of Mark Douglas Buddle, was silent and kept his arms crossed during the brief administrative hearing.

He was asked to stand as a next court date was set before giving a quick wave to his lawyer while he was led out of the dock.

Buddle is facing two charges: importing a commercial quantity of cocaine and conspiring to import cocaine.

Charge sheets released from the court allege he imported the border controlled drug into Melbourne on May 31 last year.

He is also accused of conspiring with others to import cocaine between March 19 and June 3 last year.

Buddle’s lawyer Stephen Zahr.

The prosecution successfully sought to have his co-conspirator’s name redacted from the documents.

News Corp understands that person has not been charged, pending further investigations.

Court documents reveal police applied at Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 23 for a warrant to arrest Buddle, with magistrate Julie Grainger granting it on the grounds Buddle had “absconded or is likely to abscond”.

Outside of court, Mr Zahr said his client was in good spirits.

“(He’s) not too bad, he’s caught a long flight that he’s just come back from,” he said.

When asked if there were fears for Mr Buddle’s safety while in custody, Mr Zahr said: “I can’t comment on that.”

The lawyer said he did not yet know how his client would plead to the charges.

Police escort Buddle to seat 21F.

Earlier on Friday it was revealed Buddle, 37, was boarded onto a chartered flight out of the Northern Territory under the cover of darkness on Thursday night, escorted by almost a dozen Australian Federal Police officers.

Wearing balaclavas, the officers bundled the bikie onto seat 21F two days after he was ordered to face a Victorian court.

Buddle was shackled and restrained, his hands cuffed and attached to his waist, as several officers surrounded him from the tarmac to the plane.

Buddle with former partner Mel Ter Wisscha, who is still being detained in Turkey.

Buddle was extradited back to Melbourne on a chartered Boeing A319.

The plane used to bring Buddle back to Melbourne, a chartered Boeing A319, can carry up as many as 156 passengers.

The charter flight, with only Buddle about a dozen police officers and aircrew on board, likely cost the AFP more than $120,000.

Seemingly for security reasons, Buddle’s flight took an unusual flight path from Darwin.

At first, it appeared to be heading towards Sydney, before it re-routed south and landed in Melbourne shortly before 1am.

When asked about the extraordinary police precautions in place for Buddle’s extradition, an underworld source mocked the AFP, saying: “this isn’t Sinaloa”.

Comanchero bikie boss Mark Buddle with his estranged wife Mel Ter Wisscha.

There was no marching of the bikie through the airport when he arrived in Melbourne, with the plane parking in an undisclosed hangar before Buddle was whisked off the aircraft steps and straight into an AFP van.

It comes as police feared the possibility his underworld contacts would attempt a daring plot to bust him out of custody.

So serious were the concerns around the operation that saw him land back in Australia this week that when his case was mentioned in Darwin police did not bring him into the courthouse.

Instead they asked for him to appear by telephone from a cell in a police station surrounded by officers.

Five others have been charged over their roles in the $40m haul that police allege was uncovered thanks to the AFP’s trojan horse AN0M app that exposed the dark secrets of the underworld.

Originally published as Mark Buddle in glass dock as he fronts Melbourne court after high security flight