Alleged trafficker blows kiss

AN alleged member of an international racket accused of trafficking drugs worth more than $1 million into the Northern Territory has made an emotional display to his partner in court.

Irishman Stephen Donnelly is one of four men arrested in Darwin on Wednesday by officers from Taskforce Nemesis, a cross border and multiagency police operation.

“The operation identified a sophisticated syndicate that transported MDMA and cocaine from the United Kingdom to Darwin,” Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Stringer said yesterday.

On Sunday, Darwin local Marcus Hansch, 41, and French national Sebastien Ducros, 24, allegedly travelled to Mount Isa in Queensland where they collected a package containing 1.2kg of MDMA pills and 127g of cocaine with a street value of more than $650,000.

Police allege the pair dropped the package at a Darwin storage shed and were arrested shortly after, while Tommy Ransley, a 31-year-old from the UK, was arrested after allegedly collecting items from the package.

Police executed two search warrants at Darwin residences later that day, where Donnelly, 36, was also apprehended.

Donnelly blew kisses from the dock to one of two tearful women, believed to be partners of two of the men in court.

He and Ransley did not apply for bail and their next court appearance is on December 6.