Two Norwegian nationals have been jailed for attempting to possess 80kg of cocaine smuggled into Australia in 2023 concealed as a parasitic attachment on the hull of a bulk carrier.
A man, 53, was sentenced yesterday (13 August, 2025) by the Newcastle District Court to nine years' and 11 months imprisonment, with a non-parole period of four years and 11 months.
It comes after his accomplice, 35, was sentenced by the same court on 13 March, 2025, to 10 years' and two months imprisonment, with a non-parole period of five years and nine months.
The men were charged as part of the AFP's Operation Oakey, which began on 23 January, 2023, after NSW Police Force (NSWPF) received an anonymous tip-off that a bulk carrier from Brazil, due to arrive in the Port of Newcastle, was transporting illicit drugs.
The same day, a member of the public became suspicious about two men using diving equipment and seabobs at Swansea, NSW. The witness reported the incident to Crime Stoppers, saying the seabobs appeared to have a black tow harness with shackles and weights on either side.
The bulk carrier docked at port the next morning (24 January, 2023), and AFP, NSWPF and Australian Border Force (ABF) officers searched the vessel. NSWPF divers retrieved six waterproof duffle bags hidden in a section of the hull known as the sea chest. Inside the bags, they found 82 packages, weighing about 80kg, which tested positive for cocaine.
Early on 25 January, 2023, witnesses on a ferry reported seeing two men in the water in the Newcastle harbour.
Police arrested the two men onshore in the area later that day and retrieved multiple items from the rocks and shoreline where they had returned, including a black climbing belt, diving googles with torches, a black flipper, diving bag, bolt cutters, diving gloves, pliers and a pocket knife.
Investigators also executed a search warrant on their vehicle, seizing items including diving equipment, electronic devices, receipts and passports.
The court heard the men had been diving at the bulk carrier in an unsuccessful attempt to find and retrieve the illicit drugs.
Investigations later found the pair had flown into Brisbane from Denpasar, Indonesia, separately on 17 and 18 January, 2023, just a few days before the bulk carrier arrived in the Newcastle area.
On their drive south through NSW, the men purchased two seabobs worth $56,000 on the Gold Coast, a scuba set in Nelson Bay, and tools from a hardware store in Newcastle.
Forensic analysis of the men's phones revealed conversations discussing the logistics of retrieving the cocaine from the vessel in an encrypted app group chat titled 'Finding Nemo'.
AFP divers later found both seabobs fastened to a pier pylon in the Hunter River at Newcastle.
The men were each charged with one count of attempting to possess a large commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, contrary to section 307.5 of the Criminal Code (Cth). Both men pleaded guilty to the offence.
AFP Detective Superintendent Peter Fogarty said the cocaine, which had an estimated street value of $26 million, equated to about 400,000 street-level deals.
"Criminals view Australia as a lucrative market to sell illicit drugs, and will go to great lengths, even risking their own safety, to make a quick buck," Det Supt Fogarty said.
"Divers hired by criminal syndicates are a cog in the wheel of organised crime, and they will be pursued and apprehended, no matter where they sit in a syndicate's hierarchy.
"This result is testament to our ongoing collaboration with our partners, both then and now.
"Criminals are relentless at targeting our community for illicit ventures, which is why our close working relationships with partners such as NSW Police Force and Australian Border Force (ABF) are so important."
NSW Police Force Detective Superintendent Peter Faux said the agency used all its resources and capabilities to identify and target those committing serious crimes which impacted the community.
"It is an example of how we work closely with our law enforcement and intelligence partners to stop large amounts of illicit drugs from entering our communities," Det Supt Faux said.
ABF Superintendent Geoff Quinn said the sentencing of the individuals involved in this elaborate plot was a victory against those criminals who sought to exploit Australia's borders.
"This court outcome is the result of the incredible work showcased by our ABF officers alongside their counterparts at the AFP and NSW Police Force," Supt Quinn said.
"The ABF is Australia's only border security agency dedicated to protecting our physical border and preventing illicit trade, and this outcome serves as a warning to criminals that we're acutely aware of what you're up to.
"The ABF's work with partner agencies helps identify, target and disrupt the nefarious activities of serious organised crime groups irrespective of how clever they think they are."
