Nicholas Levidis accused of ferrying methamphetamine into Darwin from Melbourne

A 75-year-old drug mule, whose lawyer previously told a court he had ‘no idea’ where the ice in his bag came from, is likely to enter a plea for supplying methamphetamine, a court has heard.

Nicholas Levidis has been charged with commercial drug supply.

An elderly drug mule busted “red handed” allegedly ferrying more than 100g of methamphetamine from Melbourne to Darwin was “a willing participant” in the enterprise, a court has heard.

Nicholas Levidis, 75, had a second bid to go free on bail rejected in the Darwin Local Court on Monday after being charged with supplying a commercial quantity of the drug last year.

His lawyer, Luke McLaughlin, told the court Levidis now had a residence in Darwin where he could live with his partner if granted bail and had offered to surrender his passport.

Mr McLaughlin said Levidis would abide by electronic monitoring and a curfew, while reporting to police three times a week and using the time to “potentially finalise his affairs”.

“This will very likely be a plea, subject to ongoing instructions as it moves up to the Supreme Court,” he said.

“It’s understood there’ll be a prison sentence.”

But in denying bail for a second time, judge John Neill said if Levidis absconded back to Victoria while on bail, “it would be difficult to extract him”.

Mr Neill said the 75-year-old had “been caught red handed” with 112g of meth in his bag at Darwin Airport and “on the information before me on the file so far, he was a mule with his eyes open”.

“He comes before the court at the age of 75 years having chosen to become involved with transporting 112g of methamphetamine into the Northern Territory,” he said.

“(The) methamphetamine was found inside his black backpack, which was carry-on luggage, so it wasn’t capable of being interfered with by persons unknown.

“And he declined to participate in a record of interview, which is perhaps a little surprising for a man who, on the last occasion, I was told knew nothing about this methamphetamine in his personal backpack.”

When Levidis last faced court in November, his then lawyer, Storm Lawlor, told the court his client had “no idea how the drugs got in his bag”.

“As to how it got there I can’t speculate,” he said.

“There’s no smoking gun — apart from the meth in the bag.”

He was remanded in custody to return to court for a preliminary examination mention on February 1.