Two men accused of being connected to a multimillion-dollar cocaine ring bust were refused bail in Nowra Local Court on Thursday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Michael Pirrello, 33, and Francesco Pirello, 39, along with a former rugby league first grade player, a Bondi entrepreneur and a maritime worker are among 15 men arrested.
Police will allege the men were importing cocaine via Sydney's iconic fish markets and other NSW ports.
It's alleged they used a shipping vessel named Dalrymple to ferry drugs between NSW ports and a larger ship stationed out at sea that held drugs smuggled from Chile.
About 500 kilograms of cocaine was seized from a dinghy at Brooklyn on the NSW Central Coast.
Several of the men were arrested on board the Dalrymple vessel as it docked at the Sydney fish markets on Christmas night.
The operation by NSW Police, Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force has been running for more than two-and-a-half years.
Police say they have seized 500 kilograms of cocaine and more than 600 kilograms of the same drug in Tahiti which they will allege was destined for Australia.
Authorities valued the total amount of cocaine seized at $360 million.
Among the men arrested is former Eastern Suburbs Roosters player John Roland Boyd Tobin, who played 125 matches as lock forward in the 1980s.
Two men, aged 33 and 39, will face Nowra Local Court on Thursday in relation to the incident.
Bondi entrepreneur Darren John Mohr was also arrested. He lists his occupation as the owner Martini Motors and is also the former owner of the Bondi Rescue HQ cafe.
His Instagram profile shows a love of Harley Davidson motorbikes, Rolls Royce cars and being shirtless.
Police also arrested Reuben John Dawe, who lists his occupation as a maritime worker, and commercial fisherman Joseph Pirrello, 63.
Footage released by police show multiple men being arrested in the dark from on-board the Dalrymple fishing vessel.
One of the men shown with his hands tied between his back is wearing only a pair of boxer shorts covered in cartoon pictures of crocodiles.
"This operation has been running for more than two-and-a-half years and culminated over the Christmas period," a police statement reads.
The men were aged between 29 and 63 years old and have all been refused bail in initial court hearings this week. Police are due to address the media at 11am on Thursday.
