Cy Robert John Morris and Matthew Leon Burke face Darwin Local Court over drug charges

Two men charged in relation to massive amounts of drugs and cash seized in the Top End remain behind bars, despite bail applications citing a sick mum, and wife about to give birth.

The Northern Territory Joint Organised Crime Task Force has charged two men, 41 and 42 years old, and seized 3kg of cocaine valued at $1.5m, 6kg of cannabis and $255,000 in cash.

Two men charged over one of Darwin’s biggest ever drug busts remain in custody despite bail applications that included a sick mother in need of care and a wife about to give birth.

Cy Robert John Morris, 41, faced the Darwin Local Court on Monday charged with supplying a commercial quantity of a schedule one drug and dealing with the proceeds of crime, in relation to 3kg of cocaine and $152,000 in cash seized on May 3.

In a separate hearing, Matthew Leon Burke, 42, also faced court charged with supplying a schedule 1 drug, supplying a commercial quantity of a schedule 2 drug, and dealing with the proceeds of crime.

It came after 5.5kg of cannabis and $100,000 in cash was allegedly seized from his Howard Springs home on May 4.

Cy Robert John Morris was charged after police allegedly watched him bury a drum at The Esplanade, in which they later discovered $1.5m worth of cocaine.

The court heard Morris, who travelled to the NT from his home in Mullumbimby, NSW, had a two-year-old daughter and a partner just weeks away from giving birth to their second child.

NT law includes a presumption against bail for serious drug crimes, but Morris’s defence lawyer argued it should be granted anyway as Morris was “the main breadwinner” for his young family, while working as a personal trainer, roofer and gardener.

Judge Dick Wallace acknowledged Morris’s partner would be “in an awkward situation” if he remained in custody, but denied bail, saying the crimes were of a scale “not often seen in this jurisdiction”.

Morris had travelled to Darwin in late April where he was shadowed by local investigators following a tip-off from the NSW Police Drug and Firearm Squad.

The court heard Morris then used a hire car to travel to Anaconda, where he purchased a 20 litre waterproof container, JB Hi-Fi for a cryovac machine, and Bunnings for a shovel, gardening gloves, cleaning rags and a rubber mat.

It was alleged police watched him bury the empty drum at The Esplanade, before trailing him to a property in Howard Springs.

Prosecutor Indigo Collins said investigators then watched Morris return to the drum at The Esplanade where, after he left about 9.30pm, they unearthed the 3kg of cocaine and $110,000 cash.

The Northern Territory Joint Organised Crime Task Force seized 3kg of cocaine valued at $1.5m in the drug bust.

She said another $42,000 in cash was discovered at Morris’ accommodation after he was arrested the following morning.

Burke’s defence lawyer, Julie Franz, applied for bail on the grounds that her client was a primary carer for his ill mother.

“She is quite unwell and other arrangements would be needed to care for her,” she said.

Ms Franz said Burke lived with his mother, de facto wife, and their two children aged seven and five in Howard Springs.

But prosecutor Kate Nichols “strongly opposed” bail, saying there were “serious concerns that bail would interfere with current police investigations”.

Mr Wallace asked for more details about how investigations might be interfered with, and when they could not be provided, adjourned Burke’s bail application until Friday.

Morris will return to court on June 14.