A $1 million-plus heroin haul found stashed in a car pulled over near Albury was an "off-shoot" of a major Sydney-based drug investigation, a court has heard.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This was highlighted on Tuesday as the chief reason behind a delay in the preparation of the police brief against two men charged over the find.
Ryan Christopher Lotho, 31, and Lawrence Francis Gonzales, 33, appeared separately in Albury Local Court via video links to Junee jail.
IN OTHER NEWS:
The pair were arrested after their car was pulled over on the Hume Freeway north of Albury in late July.
It was alleged that Lotho's fingerprint was found on a mobile phone in the car, that there was CCTV footage of him putting a bag in the boot and that Gonzales was driving the car, which was owned by his father.
Director of Public Prosecutions representative Alexander Dixon told magistrate Rodney Brender on Tuesday that it was his "understanding" that there was "some outstanding surveillance material" still absent from the prosecution brief against the two men.
That meant charge certification - Lotho and Gonzales each face a serious and strictly indictable charge of supply a prohibited drug not less than a commercial quantity - could not yet proceed.
When Mr Brender asked when that would be available, Mr Dixon said it was within four weeks.
However, Mr Brender wanted some sort of guarantee that this was the case.
He asked Mr Dixon to check with the police informant to find out when the material would be available .
"What, it's burning (the surveillance information) on to a disc? Why does it take three weeks to do that?"
After the matter was adjourned for a few hours, Mr Dixon returned to the court to let Mr Brender know the material would be available by November 26.
"(The material) arises from a bigger operation in Sydney," he said.
Both men were further remanded in custody, with their matters adjourned for charge certification on December 17.
