Two men sentenced earlier this year for the second largest importation of cocaine into South Australia, have today (8 May, 2025) had their sentences more than doubled.
The two Victorian men, aged 20 and 23, were each initially sentenced on 29 January, 2025, by the District Court of South Australia , to three years' imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 18 months.
The men both pleaded guilty in late 2024 to attempting to retrieve 139kg of cocaine imported into Australia in a consignment of 13 luxury buses.
Today (8 May, 2025), the South Australian Criminal Court of Appeal increased the sentence for each of the men to six years and nine months' imprisonment, with a non-parole period of four years.
Both men were charged in 2024 with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of cocaine, contrary to section 307.5(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
Operation Silkwood began in January, 2024, after intelligence identified an attempt to import cocaine, concealed in buses being transported on an international cargo ship destined for Adelaide, via Perth.
Australian Border Force (ABF) officers searched the buses on 28 January, 2024, after the ship arrived in Fremantle Harbour in Western Australia.
Initial testing of the packages hidden in the four buses, returned a positive result for cocaine. The matter was subsequently referred to the AFP.
The buses were offloaded on their arrival into 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 by AFP members in a hotel in Port Adelaide and charged.
It is estimated if the 139kg of cocaine made it into the community, it could have been sold for as many as 695,000 street level deals, and estimated to have directed $45 million into the crooked pockets of criminals.
AFP Detective Superintendent Melinda Adam said imprisonment was the ultimate pay-off for anyone foolish enough to risk becoming involved in criminal syndicates.
"The AFP and its law enforcement partners continue to relentlessly target and disrupt all levels of illicit criminal activity," Det Supt Adam said.
"No matter how small or large a role, those who choose to be involved with onshore or offshore criminal syndicates, can expect to be targeted. Their actions harm our communities and only feed the greed of criminals.
"I congratulate the dedicated work of all AFP and law enforcement partner agencies on their tenacity in this operation."
ABF Acting Chief Superintendent Alex Kelsall said last financial year ABF officers seized more than 1.8 tonnes of cocaine through 2777 detections at Australia's border.
"There is no doubt Australia continues to be an attractive market for criminal syndicates seeking to profit off the misery that illicit drugs can cause in our community," a/Chief Superintendent Kelsall said.
"Often the intelligence work of our officers leads to arrests and outcomes such as this - it's a credit to their commitment in keeping Australia safe, and the close partnerships with our law enforcement partners."
