Craig Aaron Castle and Joshua Charles Hay plead not guilty to drug and firearm charges

At the time, police called it the “biggest seizure of methylamphetamine and cocaine in Tasmania’s history”. Now, the two men accused of importing the drugs have both entered a plea.

Craig Aaron Castle, 34, of Elderslie and Joshua Charles Hay, 40, of Swansea, are charged with trafficking in a controlled substance after they were allegedly found with 4kg of cocaine and 3kg of meth during an intercept at Rocky Cape on December 7, 2023.

A pair of men accused of attempting to traffic illegal drugs worth $4.6m in December will fight their charges.

Craig Aaron Castle, 34, of Elderslie, and Joshua Charles Hay, 40, of Swansea, each pleaded not guilty to two charges of trafficking a controlled substance at the Devonport Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The matter was adjourned to October 10 at 2.15pm at the Devonport Magistrates Court, where a preliminary proceedings application is set to occur.

Craig Aaron Castle, 34, of Elderslie and Joshua Charles Hay, 40 (pictured), of Swansea, are charged with trafficking in a controlled substance after they were allegedly found with 4kg of cocaine and 3kg of meth during an intercept at Rocky Cape on December 7, 2023.

Mr Castle and Mr Hay also pled not guilty each to a count of possessing ammunition when not the holder of the appropriate firearm licence, one count of possessing an unregistered firearm, a count of not taking all precautions to ensure the safekeeping of a firearm and ammunition, and a count of possessing a firearm when not the holder of a firearms licence in the appropriate category

In relation to the trafficking charges, police will allege that Mr Castle and Mr Hay travelled from Rocky Cape and Victoria and back in a fishing boat with the intention of trafficking illicit drugs.

Craig Aaron Castle, 34, of Elderslie and Joshua Charles Hay, 40 (pictured), of Swansea, are charged with trafficking in a controlled substance after they were allegedly found with 4kg of cocaine and 3kg of meth during an intercept at Rocky Cape on December 7, 2023.

Police intercepted the pair in the early hours of December 7 at the Rocky Cape boat ramp in the state’s North-West.

Police allegedly found 4kg of cocaine and 3kg of methylamphetamine, which at the time Southern District Commander Jason Elmer said was the “biggest seizure of methylamphetamine and cocaine in Tasmania’s history”.