Six men in court over drugs bust

Six men charged over Australia's second biggest ever drugs bust, worth more than $1.5 billion, have appeared in a Sydney court.

Around 2.8 tonnes of narcotics were found, including 1917 kilograms of MDMA and 849kg of methamphetamine (also known as ice).

Six men were charged with drugs importation offences after being arrested on Saturday following an investigation by the Joint Organised Crime Group.

Joshua Hamlin and Mehmet Ozgen appeared in the dock at Sydney's Central Local Court on Wednesday.

Their co-defendants, Sloomone Komai Vukici, Jason Drollet, Akuila Bisasa appeared together via video-link in a separate hearing followed by sixth defendant, Rene Arancibia.

The drug haul was discovered by Customs and Border Protection officers hidden among furniture in a container at the German port of Hamburg in early November.

The drugs went on to arrive in Australia on November 19, with investigators continuing to track the consignment and conducting a "controlled delivery" to an address in Blacktown before it was moved on to Smithfield.

The men will be up at the court again on February 4.

There were no applications for bail and it was refused.

A bail application for Ozgen will take place at the court on December 15, while lawyers for the other defendants also indicated they may apply for bail at a later date.