The five men, including a Padstow man, 42, who is alleged to have been the primary Australian facilitator of the endeavour, were remanded in custody to reappear in court in November.
It’s alleged the 42-year-old was liaising with organised figures overseas to source the cocaine, have it placed on an aircraft and then arrange for its onward distribution in Australia.
A man, 62, allegedly coordinated the activities of two men working at the airport, to facilitate the removal of the cocaine from the aircraft and deliver it to an associate of the Padstow man.
It was alleged a man, 55, and man, 61, used their employment and access to freight-handling operations at Sydney’s international airport to facilitate the removal of five large bags containing the cocaine from a container in the cargo hold of an aircraft, recently arrived from South Africa, and out of the secure airside area on Saturday, October 7.
These two trusted insiders then allegedly transferred the five bags to a car driven by a Sydney man, 24, outside an airport freight terminal. It will be alleged the Sydney man was acting on behalf of the Padstow man to collect the cocaine ahead of onward distribution in Australia. All three men were arrested shortly after the handover on Saturday afternoon.
Each of the five bags found in the car contained bricks of a white substance wrapped in black plastic. Forensic testing confirmed the substance was cocaine, with each bag containing about 20kg.
The Padstow man and one other were each charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of cocaine, while three others arrested in the vicinity of the airport, were charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, namely cocaine, and possessing a commercial quantity of cocaine.
Arrest drug import ring
POLICE have smashed an organised crime enterprise after a 12-month investigation, charging five Sydney men for their roles in the alleged importation of about 100kg of cocaine in the cargo hold of a passenger plane from South Africa.
