One of the men alleged to have smuggled nearly a quarter-tonne of cocaine into Queensland will join his co-accused on remand after making no attempt at bail.
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Matthieu Anthony Rees, 44, and Rachid Kachour, 55, both from Griffith in the ACT, were arrested at their Canberra apartment on Thursday as part of an investigation into cocaine worth $61 million seized from a yacht moored in Townsville.
Kachour appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Tuesday after being granted a one-day adjournment to hire a privately funded solicitor.
He stood in the dock wearing a green T-shirt.
The Australian Federal Police have alleged the yacht containing cocaine arrived in Townsville in April after sailing from Vanuatu.
Australian Border Force and AFP officers found minor anomalies with the hull after taking the yacht out of the water, and allegedly discovered 247kg of cocaine hidden in enclosed sections.
Rees and Kachour have been accused of travelling from Canberra between May 20 and 27 to recover cocaine from the vessel while it was at the Townsville Yacht Club and Marina.
Kachour's solicitor, Jaimee-Lee Jessop, asked for a direction from the court that his client be supplied with a brief of evidence.
Ms Jessop made no application for bail, and Magistrate Tina Previtera ordered that Kachour reappear by video-link in Brisbane Magistrates Court on September 1.
Commonwealth Prosecutor Brianna Finnegan said it would take six weeks to provide a partial brief of evidence.
Rees made no application for bail on Monday and was taken into custody before his next court appearance on September 1.
Australian Associated Press
