The arrests of the men by heavily-armed police last week in Sydney followed a shootout. Photo / via Nine News
The arrests of the men by heavily-armed police last week in Sydney followed a shootout. Photo / via Nine News
Two men arrested during a dramatic police operation in Sydney's Centennial Park last week have been charged with supplying 900 kilograms of cocaine, worth A$180 million ($197m), even though police haven't actually seized the drugs.
New Zealand man Kigi Kamuta, 39, Aukuso Junior Paulo, 34, and Royce Royal Hura, 27,were caught in two cars on Wednesday, allegedly with guns, ammunition and A$650,000 ($712,000) cash.
The trio was remanded in custody following a court appearance last week on charges of unlawfully possessing weapons, dealing with the proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal group.
A van with damaged windshield is seen at Centennial Park in Sydney, Wednesday. Photo / AAP
Kamuta and Paulo on Tuesday were each hit with an extra charge of supplying a large commercial quantity of prohibited drug, relating to the 900kg of cocaine estimated to be worth A$180 million.
"There are 900 kilograms of cocaine that will not reach the streets of Sydney due to the good work of those staff from the organised crime squad and our partner agency," Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Cook told reporters in Sydney.
However, the drugs are not in police custody and Chief Supt Cook wasn't able to explain their whereabouts, nor how police came to know about the haul.
"Our investigations are ongoing and I can't speak about the operational detail," he said.
Chief Supt Cook said there was "some importation involved" but could provide minimal details about the operation.
More arrests and charges were anticipated, he said.
Supplied image of one of two firearms seized by Organised Crime Squad detectives. Photo / AAP
A fourth man was arrested on Friday as part of the same investigation and charged with possessing weapons and ammunition, dealing in the proceeds of crime and possessing identity information.
During last week's hearing, the court was told Kamuta has a New Zealand passport but has been in Australia for 15 years.
His two co-accused occupied the car where the firearms were located while Kamuta was in a vehicle where a backpack allegedly containing A$649,990 was found in the footwell, the lawyer said.
Kamuta's lawyer Ahmed Dib noted the firearms were not in his client's possession and argued "there is simply no evidence in the fact sheet in relation to a criminal organisation".
But magistrate Michael Barko referred to the "curious picture" painted by the police fact sheet.
Kamuta was travelling through Centennial Park, some distance away from where he lived and worked, with the cash in the car, while his co-accused were in another vehicle with the guns.
They were wearing hi-vis vests and their vehicles had the appearance of work cars, he added.
Family and friends of two men arrested during a dramatic police operation in Centennial Park last week, leave the Central Local Court in Sydney. Photo / AAP
It had all the hallmarks of "a convoy of cash being transported with firearms for protection", he alleged.
Police accuse the men of being involved in "highly organised criminal activity", including the use of encrypted BlackBerry phones.
