Perth man to serve 16 years’ imprisonment for cocaine importation

A 47-year-old Perth man has been sentenced to serve 16 years’ imprisonment for his role in an attempt to import 10 kilograms of cocaine into Australia in February 2019.

The man was arrested following a joint investigation by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the US Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) into the Australian arm of an international drug syndicate attempting to source the commercial quantify of cocaine.

Search warrants executed by the AFP and WA Police in February 2019 resulted in the man’s arrest and the seizure of $650,000 cash, about 1kg of cocaine and a number of mobile phones for evidentiary purposes.

The man appeared before Perth District Court on Thursday (20 February, 2020) and received the following sentences:

  • 14 years’ imprisonment, backdated to 19 February 2019, for attempting to possess 10 kilograms of cocaine, contrary to sections 11.1 and 307.5 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth);
  • Nine years’ imprisonment, to be served wholly concurrently, for dealing in $949,500 in cash, contrary to section 400.4 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth); and
  • Four years’ imprisonment, to commence on 19 February 2031 (two years cumulative), for trafficking 342 grams of cocaine, contrary to section 302.4 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).

He is facing a non-parole period of 11 years.

/Public Release. View in full here.