TWO MEN have been sentenced to a combined six years’ imprisonment for their roles in a foiled plot to import 139kg of cocaine into Australia inside a shipment of luxury buses.
The men, now aged 20 and 23, were charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of cocaine, with both pleading guilty in late 2024.
The pair were each sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 18 months, by the District Court of South Australia yesterday (29 January).
Operation Silkwood began in January 2024, after intelligence identified an alleged importation of cocaine concealed in a consignment of 13 luxury buses that was being transported on an international cargo ship destined for Adelaide via Perth.
Australian Border Force (ABF) officers searched the buses on 28 January last year, after the ship arrived in Western Australia’s Fremantle Harbour.
The officers discovered a number of packages, which returned a positive presumptive test for cocaine, in four of the buses, with the matter then subsequently being referred to the Australian Federal Police.
The buses were offloaded on their arrival in Adelaide, with the ABF and South Australia Police assisting the operation.
On 3 February, 2024, the two men forced entry into the buses and retrieved the consignment. They were subsequently arrested in a hotel in Port Adelaide and charged.
AFP detective superintendent Melinda Adam said the cocaine could have been sold as 695,000 ‘street level’ deals.
“We prevented these drugs from reaching our community and also stopped about $45 million going into the pockets of those involved in this illegal venture,” Adam said.
“The AFP is working closely with our partners to make South Australia as hostile as possible for drug traffickers and to stop them profiting at the community’s expense.”
ABF acting superintendent Prue Otto said this result should act as a warning to anyone thinking about facilitating a criminal operation.
“Organised crime groups are seeking to import illicit drugs into Australia on an industrial scale,” Otto said.
“Drawn by the high street prices, criminals seek profits to fund lavish lifestyles and other criminal activities and the cost of this greed is paid by the Australian community.”
