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One of Australia's top crime fighters is under police protection in jail after being charged over an international drug conspiracy he allegedly helped coordinate from his Sydney desk.
Mark Standen, of the NSW Crime Commission, was upset and stressed following his arrest on Monday on charges of conspiracy to import 600kg of pseudoephedrine, a precursor chemical for the drug ice, his lawyer said.
The arrest of Standen, a NSW Crime Commission assistant director of investigations and former federal police officer, was "very damaging", the crime body's chief said.
NSW Crime Commissioner Phillip Bradley also admitted Standen had a gambling problem, but said he had risen through the ranks based on his performance as a "very capable investigator".
An unknown number of those investigations are now under review, and the whole matter has been referred to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).
Standen, 51, from Bateau Bay on the NSW Central Coast, was arrested on Monday with alleged co-conspirator, Bakhos Jalalaty, 45, of Maroota, as part of a two-year federal investigation spanning three continents.
The same investigation also resulted in the arrest of 12 people in The Netherlands and a 49-year-old British man in Bangkok.
Neither Standen nor Jalalaty appeared before Magistrate Allan Moore when their cases were mentioned in Sydney's Central Local Court on Tuesday.
Both were remanded in custody pending bail hearings. Standen will reappear in court on June 11, and Jalalaty on June 30.
Both men have been charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of a border controlled precursor, conspiracy to supply a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
A NSW Department of Corrective Services spokesman said Standen was on remand in the maximum security unit of a Sydney jail.
"He will be on suicide watch," the spokesman said.
Standen's lawyer, Paul King, said his client was coping, and thanked corrective services for the additional protection he was being afforded to ensure his safety.
"He's obviously stressed and upset about the whole thing," Mr King said outside court.
"I think it's all taken him by surprise.
"I haven't really spoken to his family directly, but as I understand it, they're all finding it difficult."
Australian Federal Police (AFP) Deputy Commissioner of Operations Tony Negus said police would allege the pseudoephedrine could have produced 480kg of the drug ice.
Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus told federal parliament the drugs had a wholesale value of around $120 million.
The chemicals were allegedly due to be shipped to Australia inside a container of rice from Pakistan, via several other countries.
However, Mr Negus said when the container was searched upon arrival in Australia no chemical was found. He refused to comment on reports the shipment was stolen by a rival crime gang en route.
Less than a dozen people were aware of the investigation into Standen, which began in July last year.
"As you can appreciate given the man's position within the crime commission and with the wider law enforcement community, the operational security required on this investigation was extreme," Mr Negus said.
Mr Debus told parliament Standen allegedly used his position to criminal advantage.
"It will be alleged that he used his position to provide advice to the syndicate on law enforcement methods and information on drug enforcement activities," he said.
Mr Bradley rejected a call for a royal commission into his operation, the stated objective of which is to "reduce the incidence of illegal drug trafficking".
A number of cases Standen had worked on while under investigation would be reviewed, Mr Bradley said, but denied there was a need for a royal commission.
"This is an isolated incident, one person engaging in crime," he alleged.
He said the commission had "recently" become aware that Standen had a gambling problem.
- AAP
