Cairns Post Tue 31st May
The pilot of the Cessna aircraft carrying 549kg of cocaine on an ill-fated trip to Mareeba was allegedly threatened by a rival crime syndicate to pay $400,000 of the $500,000 he earned on a previous drug import, a Cairns court heard.
The first day of what is expected to be a marathon series of committal hearings began against Salvatore Formica, Pierino Forni, Aiden Anis Khoder and George Machem before Magistrate Kevin Priestly on Monday. Formica is charged with importing cocaine and conspiracy to import cocaine. Forni is charged with conspiracy to import cocaine and dealing with more than $1m in drug money. Khoder is charged with aiding or abetting import of cocaine, conspiracy to import cocaine, dealing with more than $1m in drug money, dealing in more than $100,000 that is proceeds of crime, and directing the activities of a criminal organisation. Machen is charged with supporting a criminal organisation.
It is alleged the syndicate successfully imported more than 400kg of cocaine worth $90m from PNG to Mareeba in August 2018 and repeated the exercise in July 2020 with 549kg on board - but the overloaded plane crashed in PNG.
Commonwealth prosecutor Daniel Caruana told the court it was alleged the flight took off from Mareeba, stopped at Coen, then flew low with the flight transponder turned off.
The Court heard that after the crash, pilot David Cutmore, 52 allegedly stashed the drugs in mangroves and arrived at the Australian Consulate asking to be handed over to Australian Federal Police. I has been alleged in previous lodged court documents that Mr. Cutmore was offered $2m for three planned flights. Mr. Cutmore has been charged in PNG with two counts of smuggling prohibited goods. He is NOT facing charges in Australia.
Representing Khoder, barrister Mark Gumbleton cross examined a detective from the Qld Joint Organised crime Taskforce who interviewed pilot Cutmore in PNG. Mr Gumbleton asked the detective if Cutmore mentioned a threat to his life unless he paid $400,000 to a crime syndicate.
The hearing is expected to last eight days.,