Steven Bruce Congdon was one of 10 people arrested by South Australia Police after they executed search warrants in Adelaide.

Congdon, 26, is listed as living in Elizabeth.

He faces two charges of trafficking a controlled drug and one of supplying firearm to a person not authorised to acquire firearm.

The searches were conducted at the same time as a light plane loaded with drugs was intercepted in Deniliquin and three properties in Hay were subjected to search warrants by NSW Police. 

SA Police’s searches in the capital’s northern suburbs resulted in the seizure of 18 kilograms of cannabis with a potential street value of $180,000, 700 ecstasy pills potentially worth $17,500, a quantity of counterfeit currency and two firearms. Six men were charged before further searches led to another four arrests.

“Police arrested six men who allegedly organised the supply and transport of the drugs by light plane to NSW where 45 kilograms of cannabis and 4 kilograms of the controlled precursor drug was seized by NSW Police after it landed in Deniliquin,” Detective Superintendent Graham Goodwin of SA Police’s serious and organised crime branch said.

“We will be alleging that the four kilograms of controlled precursor that was seized in Deniliquin was capable of making up to two kilograms of methamphetamine, with a street value of $2 million.

“This group has been operating for some time, and we have been looking at them for some time.”

Congdon appeared before Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday and was remanded into custody. He will next appear before the court on November 11.

Congdon is the fifth Riverina man to be charged in the cross-state sweep following the plane’s interception in Deniliquin and searches conducted in Hay on Wednesday.

Steve Harris, 38, of Hay faces 14 firearms charges; Morgan Cox, 29, of Hay faces three firearms charges; John Mirabelli, 43, of Hay faces 14 firearms charges; Frank Ruberto, 46, of Hay faces three firearms charges and one charge of dealing in the proceeds of crime.