A Norwegian commerical diver has been sentenced to 9 years and 11 months’ imprisonment for trying to smuggle 80 kg of cocaine into Australia.
Jon Birger Karlsen, 53, and his co-accused, Johan-Martinius Halvorsen, 35, pleaded responsible to trying to own a industrial amount of a border-controlled drug in January 2023.
The 2 males have been a part of a world crime syndicate that flew Karlsen into Brisbane and acquired him nearly AU$60,000 price of scuba diving gear and diver propulsion automobiles (DPVs).
The pair have been tasked with recovering the cocaine from the Cypriot-registered bulk service MV Stalo whereas it was berthed within the Port of Newcastle, New South Wales.
Karlson and Halvorsen have been noticed by a neighborhood ferry crew making a follow run, however unknown to them, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) had already been tipped off concerning the medication and had eliminated them from the ship.
AFP officers have been ready for the 2 males once they made their try to get better the now non-existent cocaine.
The pair’s defence lawyer stated that Karlson was not conscious that he was taking part in a prison exercise, nonetheless, presiding Decide Roy Ellis stated that whereas he may settle for that the lads might not have recognized the exact amount of cocaine they have been despatched to retrieve, he questioned how there could possibly be ‘some other inference apart from retrieving one thing that was introduced illegally’ into the nation.
Decide Ellis stated a sentence of 12 years was acceptable for Karlsen’s crime, however utilized a 15 per cent low cost in lieu of the Norwegian’s help in offering info to the police.
Karlsen should serve a minimal of 4 years and 11 months earlier than he’s eligible for parole.
His associate in crime, Halvorsen, was sentenced to 12 years in jail with a minimal time period of 5 years and 9 months.
