One of the men allegedly behind the concealment of $144 million worth of cocaine inside an excavator is "edging closer and closer" to a guilty plea, while the other has been committed for trial.
Queanbeyan pair Adam Phillip Hunter and Timothy John Engstrom were arrested in July last year after Australian Border Force officers intercepted the excavator in Sydney upon its arrival from South Africa.
The men were subsequently charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug and attempting to possess a border-controlled drug.
Authorities allege that the second-hand digger was bound for Mr Hunter's business, Bungendore Landscape Supplies.
Lawyer James Maher, representing Mr Hunter, told Queanbeyan Local Court on Tuesday that his client was "edging closer and closer" to a guilty plea, with negotiations around the facts of the case still a sticking point.
The court heard Mr Hunter would likely plead guilty to attempting to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, with the original charges to be withdrawn.
The maximum penalty for the attempted importation offence is life in jail.
Mr Engstrom, meanwhile, was committed for trial on Tuesday.
A Canberra Times reporter was not allowed into the courthouse until after Mr Engstrom's appearance because of COVID-19 social distancing restrictions during building renovations.
It is therefore unclear whether he is fighting the original charges or the fresh charge Mr Hunter intends to plead guilty to.
Mr Hunter returns to court on October 19, for what will likely be a committal for sentence.
Mr Engstrom's matter has been listed for a pre-trial callover on November 11, with his trial expected to take place next year.
