A NEWCASTLE man accused of financing the importation of 52 kilograms of methamphetamine onboard a "black flight" from Papua New Guinea to Australia, claims he had no knowledge of the $15 million importation.
Michael David Bridge, 40, was arrested on April 1 last year, about 10 days after an Australian Federal Police led investigation allegedly smashed a transnational organised crime group and seized duffle bags full of ice hidden in the nose of a light aircraft that landed on an outback airstrip in Queensland.
Bridge, who is represented by solicitor Cameron Duncan, appeared in Newcastle District Court on Thursday where he pleaded not guilty to importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug over the "black flight" importation.
According to court documents, Bridge conspired to import the massive methamphetamine haul between November, 2022 and when the light plane was searched by investigators on March 21, 2023.
Mr Duncan said there would be no issue during the trial that an importation took place, but it was denied Bridge had any knowledge of the operation.
Bridge also pleaded not guilty to two counts of supplying a total of 112 grams of methamphetamine at Wickham and Newcastle between January and March last year.
The matter was adjourned until May 23 to determine the length of the trial and what audio recordings, electronic and surveillance evidence would be required.
Bridge was not arrested with five other men - two pilots and three ground crew - when the light plane touched down on Monto airstrip on March 21. He was picked up 10 days later and is accused of funding the importation.
AFP investigators allege that on March 20 and 21 last year, the pilot 51-year-old Bernard Hamilton Alexander and co-pilot 52-year-old John Otto Horvath, flew a twin-engine Beechcraft light aircraft from Wilton, in south west Sydney, refuelled in Monto and then flew to the town of Bulolo in PNG.
AFP say the flight was being monitored by members of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) Transnational Crime Unit from Lae in PNG.
It is alleged that the pilots collected 52 kilograms of methamphetamine in PNG and then flew to the airstrip at Monto to again refuel.
The men allegedly flew at an unauthorised low altitude with the aircraft's transponder switched off during the return journey in an effort to avoid radar detection, the AFP said.
Police allege the plan was for the flight to be refuelled and then flown onto NSW, but AFP officers had been watching and arrested five men - the two pilots - and three men they alleged were acting as ground crew and had staged themselves in Queensland since February in preparation of the flight.
One of the men is alleged to have had 17 mobile phones in his name.
The arrests were made as part of an investigation into black flights, which are aircraft that log false flight plans and fly at a very low altitude or turn off flight monitoring systems to avoid law enforcement or aviation detection and the AFP allege the syndicate were attempting to create a supply chain for delivering illicit drugs to Australia using black flights.
Following the arrests in Central Queensland, the AFP and NSW searched four homes and businesses in Wilton and Tahmoor, Fairy Meadow and Wallsend.
During the warrants, police allegedly seized electronic devices, firearm parts, drug paraphernalia and documentation referencing aircraft parts and travel to PNG.
