German sailor Thomas Goertz who allegedly smuggled Dural caravan terror plot mastermind offshore granted bail

A “hedonistic’ German sailor accused of smuggling the alleged mastermind behind the Dural caravan “terror plot” out of the country has been granted bail after appearing in court for the first time.

Thomas Goertz faced Darwin Local Court on Monday on one charge of people smuggling. Judge Fong Lim granted him bail until his next court appearance in May.

Outside court, Goertz told the media he had “no comments” before performing a peace sign for the cameras.

On Friday, the Australian Federal Police charged the 51-year-old with allegedly smuggling fake terror plot mastermind Sayet Erhan Akca – known as Aron to his friends – out of Australia on a yacht in 2023.

The AFP had already arrested Goertz and his girlfriend on a boat off the coast of the Northern Territory last month, where he was caught allegedly trying to smuggle another fugitive drug trafficker – Hussein Chamas – out of the country.

Goertz’s latest charge comes as the AFP’s Operation Harrakis continues to investigate a criminal syndicate suspected of helping serious organised crime figures flee Australia.

Police allege Goertz and Queensland man Sean Eamon Ryan crewed a yacht that collected Akca in an at-sea transfer before sailing to Thailand together in 2023.

The three men allegedly departed from Thursday Island on September 21 that year and arrived in Phuket six weeks later on November 2.

Goertz – who describes himself on Instagram as “Sailor, Adventurer, Hedonist, Anti-authoritarian” – had allegedly hired Ryan as a deckhand about 10 days before the vessel left Australia.

On Thursday, Operation Harrakis executed a search warrant at Ryan’s seaside home at Bagara, near Bundaberg, in Queensland.

The AFP’s initial examination of the devices located at Ryan’s home allegedly identified communications between him and offshore criminal syndicate facilitators, discussing arrangements for Akca to flee the country.

The 57-year-old was charged with alleged people smuggling and intentionally providing material to support resources to a member of a criminal organisation.

Ryan faced the Bundaberg Magistrates Court via video link on Friday, where Magistrate John McInnes granted him bail despite objections from police and a lawyer for the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.

In opposing Ryan’s bail, the federal prosecutor argued that Akca was the “main suspect in the conspiracy to orchestrate a terrorism plot in Sydney which involved the caravan with explosives”, according to The Australian.

In December a caravan, containing industrial explosives and names of Jewish sites, was abandoned on the side of Derriwong Road before being eventually reported to police.

News of its discovery broke on January 29, a week after Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw revealed his agency was investigating whether “overseas actors or individuals have paid local criminals in Australia to carry out some of these crimes in our suburbs” amid the scourge of anti-Semitism sweeping the country.

Earlier this month AFP Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett revealed police believed the person pulling the strings wanted changes to their criminal status but maintained a distance from their scheme and hired alleged local criminals to carry out parts of their plan.

“However, the plan was foiled. An AFP operational strategy is in place to take action against this individual and I won’t make any further comment on that,” she said.

“A number of people have been identified as part of this fake terrorism plot and the AFP is working with local and overseas law enforcement officials in our bid to have all of those responsible brought to justice.”

Ryan, a former lawyer, will next appear in court on May 16 while Goertz is due back in the Darwin Local Court on May 27 for a directions hearing and preliminary examination mention.

Before fleeing the country, Akca had been charged under Operation Ironside with dealing with proceeds of crime over $100,000, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment.

The former Sydney gym and childcare owner was later also charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Akca allegedly fled the country while on bail and a warrant for his arrest was ­issued in September 2023.

The 35-year-old left behind his wife, Georgia, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, and their toddler son.

Operation Ironside was a three-year, covert, AFP-led investigation into significant organised crime syndicates that were using a dedicated encrypted communications device, named AN0M, to traffic illicit drugs and weapons to Australia, as well as order local executions.

About 400 offenders have so far been charged with more than 2350 charges as a part of the ongoing investigation.

Commander Naomi Binstead said the AFP has “meticulously picked apart” the operations of this alleged criminal syndicate which is facilitating the movement of fugitives.

Commander Binstead said the AFP was committed to dismantling the active people smuggling network which is intent on assisting alleged serious organised criminals avoid the consequences of their illegal activities.

“As soon as someone decides to assist an accused criminal flee Australia, they are committing an offence themselves and the AFP will relentlessly pursue them,” she said.

“Everyone involved in schemes to smuggle people out of Australia faces significant terms of imprisonment.”

The offence of people smuggling carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ jail.

“Alleged criminals facing serious charges and potential penalties of life imprisonment will often do almost anything to avoid facing court,” Commander Binstead said.

“But anyone who helps someone leave the country risks being imprisoned for significant periods themselves.”

So far, five people have been charged as part of Operation Harrakis, which remains ongoing.

In January, three people were arrested on a yacht off the NT coast.

Goertz and his partner, UK-citizen Jade Siu Ormiston, were charged with people smuggling offences after trying to help Hussein Chamas leave Australia unlawfully.

Their matters will return to the Darwin Local Court next month.

Chamas, 35, had failed to appear in court for an unrelated drug matter, and was subsequently extradited to New South Wales shortly after his arrest.

Last month a 46-year-old Irish man was charged with providing material support to the people smuggling offence. He has been remanded in custody and will reappear in a Darwin Local Court at a later date.

Deputy Commissioner Barrett said the caravan found with explosives and anti-Semitic material in Dural on January 19 was an elaborate scheme contrived by organised criminals, domestically and from offshore.

“Almost immediately, experienced investigators within the JCTT believed that the caravan was part of a fabricated terrorism plot – essentially a criminal con job,” she said.

“This was because of the information they already had, how easily the caravan was found and how visible the explosives were in the caravan. Also, there was no detonator.

“I can reveal that the caravan was never going to cause a mass casualty event but instead was concocted by criminals who wanted to cause fear for personal benefit.”