Sailor codenamed 'Aquaman' to face trial over alleged plan to smuggle dealer

Thomas Goertz and Jade Ormiston, a German national and his Australian partner, are set to stand trial for allegedly attempting to pervert the course of justice by helping a fugitive drug trafficker, Hussein Chamas, escape Australia. Their arrest occurred on Australia Day, 2025, when they were apprehended on a yacht named SS Coconuts in the Arafura Sea.

According to prosecutors, Goertz and Ormiston had been communicating with an international syndicate under the codename "Aquaman" about a plan to transport Chamas, codenamed "VIP," to international waters in order to avoid facing justice in Australia. Chamas had escaped from a New South Wales rehab facility earlier that month.

The trial was initiated after an Australian Border Force officer noticed Chamas fishing off East Woody Beach without a fishing line. The judge, David Woodroffe, noted that encrypted messages revealed Goertz's history of high-risk international operations and a history of extracting fugitives from Australia for financial gain.

Judge Woodroffe emphasized the evidence of long-term planning and coordination between the accused, including their purchase of the SS Coconuts and its preparation in Darwin, before the operation. He suggested that their actions, involving secretive codes, encrypted discussions, and covert payments, pointed towards more serious criminal activity than mere people smuggling.

The trial date for Goertz and Ormiston has been set for September 17 at the NT Supreme Court, where they will face charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice. A fourth individual, Irish national Stephen Roche, has already pleaded guilty to the same charge for his role in driving Chamas nearly 5,000 kilometers to Nhulunbuy.