Queensland man Sean Ryan bailed on charges of helping smuggle alleged ‘terror plot’ suspect Sayet Akca to Thailand

A Queensland man charged with helping alleged drug smuggler and caravan ‘terror plot’ mastermind Sayet Erhan Akca flee Australia is allegedly part of an organised crime group helping fugitives leave the country.

Sayet Akca. Picture: Facebook

A Queensland man charged with helping alleged drug smuggler and caravan “terror plot” mastermind Sayet Erhan Akca flee Australia on a boat is allegedly part of an organised crime group that has been helping fugitives flee the country.

Sean Eamon Ryan, 57, was charged on Thursday by Australian Federal Police with allegedly smuggling Akca from Thursday Island off the coast of Far North Queensland to Phuket in Thailand in September 2023 after Akca jumped bail on drug charges in NSW.

The smuggling run was allegedly organised by a German man, Thomas Goertz, who was arrested on board a yacht off the coast of the Northern Territory in February this year trying to smuggle another fugitive drug trafficker, Hussein Chamas, out of the country.

Ryan was allegedly offered the Chamas job but turned it down because his mother was ill.

Messages have been recovered that allegedly include references to the arrest of Goertz and his partner and co-accused, UK citizen Jade Siu Ormiston, saying Ryan “dodged a bullet” when he opted out of the mission.

Another message from Goertz to Ryan allegedly said they needed to buy a boat for up to $250,000 to do a “delivery” worth up to $2m that they could split 50-50.

Investigations by federal police into the syndicate are in the early stages and ongoing, with other members still at large.

Ryan, from seaside Bargara, faced Bundaberg Magistrates Court via video link on Friday, and successfully applied for bail despite the objections of federal prosecutors and police.

As part of the prosecution’s objection to bail, it was officially confirmed for the first time that Akca was the “main suspect in the conspiracy to orchestrate a terrorism plot in Sydney which involved the caravan with explosives”.

Ryan, an Australian citizen, was arrested by the AFP under Operation Harrakis, which was investigating the criminal syndicate suspected of helping serious organised crime figures flee.

The court was told Ryan was only in Australia to support his mother, who has bowel cancer.

But the prosecution said there were doubts about the strength of their relationship, with evidence Ryan had said his mother “had one foot in the grave, and I need her to put both feet in”.

Akca with his wife. Picture: Facebook.

Ryan shook his head to object, then held his head in his hands after the comment.

A lawyer representing the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions appeared in court via telephone link and ran through some of the police case, opposing bail on the grounds that Ryan could flee the country or interfere with witnesses.

She said Ryan was an experienced sailor who lived on a yacht in a marina in Phuket, Thailand, which was where he had met syndicate members.

He was “paid significantly for his contributions”, had at least one significant cryptocurrency wallet in Lithuania, had the connections and financial means to flee, and had allegedly already destroyed evidence by disposing of a phone at sea.

“Dropped from my phone to the bottom of the ocean, just as I was departing Thailand,” he allegedly stated in a message.

It is alleged that on September 6, 2023, Goertz attended Ryan’s home and sought his assistance in helping Akca flee.

Four days later, on September 10, Goertz “obtained authority to take control of a vessel”. Over the following days Goertz and Ryan were together in the port of Townsville and then “drifted in the vicinity of Bowen for approximately one hour” before heading north to Thursday Island.

“It is at this time that it is alleged the applicant and syndicate member Goertz picked up Akca,” the federal prosecutor told the court.

On September 21, 2023, Goertz, Ryan and Akca departed Thursday Island, sending a message: “We are at sea. Left Australia behind us.”

They arrived in Phuket on November 2, 2023, with Ryan the only person declared on the crew list.

Akca had succeeded in fleeing Australia. He was not declared on the crew list “because the accused knew that Akca was not permitted to enter Thailand”, the prosecutor said.

There was further preliminary evidence that he had deleted messages exchanged with Goertz. His arrest came as a result of the earlier arrests of syndicate members.

“The Crown alleges the accused is a member of an organised criminal group which operates to facilitate the unlawful exit of fugitives from Australia, among other operations,” the prosecutor said.

Sean Ryan was arrested for allegedly helping organised crime figures flee the country. Picture: AFP

But duty lawyer Ricky Lynch said Ryan had no criminal history and only about $10,000 to his name.

Ryan was “here caring for his mother”, was a qualified lawyer looking for work locally in construction management, and the risks could be managed with bail conditions imposed on Ryan, Mr Lynch said.

Magistrate John McInnes said he was not persuaded there was an unacceptable risk in releasing Ryan, and granted him bail on conditions that included restrictions on where he could live and travel, and the communications devices he can use.

Last week The Australian ­revealed that Akca, the fugitive alleged to be behind a string of arson and graffiti attacks on Jewish targets, had posted vile anti-Semitic slurs for years before fleeing Australia, after being charged with alleged drug importation offences.

The revelation followed previous statements by police that the mastermind of the attacks was not motivated by racist or religious ideology but was simply hoping to leverage a lenient court sentence by providing fabricated information to police.

Akca, 35, who owned the now-closed Fitness Republic Cabramatta gym, has been living in Asia and Turkey since leaving Australia in 2023 while on bail over charges of attempting to import 500kg of drugs using the encrypted AN0M messaging app.

Akca had been charged under Operation Ironside with a commonwealth offence of dealing with proceeds of crime over $100,000, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment.

He was later also charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs, carrying a maximum penalty of life.

Operation Ironside was a three-year, covert, AFP-led investigation into significant organised crime syndicates that were using a dedicated encrypted communications device, named AN0M, to traffic illicit drugs and weapons to Australia, as well as order local executions.

About 400 offenders have been charged with more than 2350 charges under Operation Ironside.

Chamas, like Akca, was caught up in the Operation Ironside investigation.

He is accused of using the AN0M platform to import drugs and was originally arrested at Sydney Airport in July 2023 when he triggered an alert trying to leave Australia.

He absconded from a rehabilitation centre near Newcastle while on bail.

AFP Commander Naomi Binstead said the AFP would relentlessly pursue anyone allegedly involved in helping suspected fugitives abscond from Australia.

“Alleged criminals facing serious charges and potential penalties of life imprisonment will often do almost anything to avoid facing court,” Commander Binstead said.

“But anyone who helps someone leave the country risks being imprisoned for significant periods themselves.

“The AFP has meticulously picked apart the operations of this alleged criminal syndicate facilitating the movement of fugitives and yesterday’s operation is a testament to the skill and dedication of our investigators.”