National

Bikie boss in court over $40m drug haul

By AAP Newswire

Aug 5, 2022

Mark Buddle being escorted by AFP officers — Bikie boss Mark Buddle was escorted by AFP officers on a chartered flight from Darwin to Melbourne. -PR Handout Image

Former fugitive Comanchero boss Mark Buddle has faced court over allegations he imported about $40 million worth of cocaine into Melbourne.

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The 37-year-old was extradited on a chartered flight from Darwin on Friday morning.

He faced Melbourne Magistrates Court, charged with one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug and one count of conspiring to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug.

Both offences carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Buddle was arrested at Darwin airport on Wednesday after being deported from Turkey a day earlier.

He was charged on Thursday over allegations he imported more than 160kg of cocaine into Melbourne in May last year.

The charges stem from Operation Ironside, which monitored communications shared using the ANOM app.

The app was set up by authorities under the guise of offering organised crime figures a safe encrypted messaging service when in reality it was being monitored by the AFP and FBI.

More than 250 people have been charged in Australia under the operation.

By AAP Newswire

Australian Associated Press