After allegedly absconding from a rehab facility and being arrested aboard a yacht about 3000km away, a man accused of drug trafficking now faces almost a year in custody before he goes to trial.
Hussein Chamas, 35, has had his bail revoked after an apparent attempt to flee Australia, where he could spend the rest of his life in prison.
Chamas' lawyer told the NSW District Court on Wednesday he would not oppose an application to revoke bail.
"I didn't think so," Judge Stephen Hanley said.
Chamas was arrested on January 26 on board a yacht in the Arafura Sea off the coast of the Northern Territory, after absconding from a rehab centre in the NSW Hunter region.
But he will not face trial until February 2026.
He potentially faces a life sentence for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of methamphetamine and drug trafficking.
He has also been charged with breaching a firearm prohibition order.
A warrant was issued when Chamas failed to appear for a court date six days before his arrest.
Chamas had earlier tried to flee before his arrest at Sydney Airport in July 2023.
He was among those caught in an Australian Federal Police operation where criminals were tricked into using an encrypted communications network under the control of the AFP and the US FBI.
Legislation passed federal parliament in December in a bid to head off High Court appeals seeking to have the substantial evidence collected as part of the operation ruled inadmissible.
The centre Chamas fled from is under review after concerning allegations emerged about its appropriateness as a facility for alleged criminals on bail, including that supervision was inadequate.
The review prompted the NSW law society to remind practitioners of their "professional obligations" when making submissions about residential rehab facilities as part of bail applications.
It also warned on Tuesday an independent bail monitoring company, BailSafe Australia, may have ceased operating without notifying the court or the people under surveillance.
More than 20 defendants on bail were wearing the monitors, a spokesman for NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley said.
"The Department of Communities and Justice has urgently reviewed (and) assessed the use of ankle monitors for a small number of defendants on bail, where the ankle monitor is provided and monitored by private companies.
"These cases have all been referred to police for them to take any necessary action."
