Olympic silver medalist and his brother jailed for over 20 years for drug smuggling
Two-time Olympic silver medal-winning kayaker Nathan Baggaley and his youthful brother have been jailed for greater than 20 years every for attempting to smuggle as much as 200 million Australian {dollars} value of cocaine into Australia.
The pair was discovered responsible by a Brisbane Supreme Courtroom jury in April of making an attempt to import a industrial amount of a border-controlled drug in July 2018. Throughout their trial in Brisbane, the court docket heard Dru Baggaley, 39, and one other man traveled tons of of miles offshore from northern New South Wales state and picked up 650 kilograms (1,430 kilos) of the drug from a international ship.
It additionally heard the boys started throwing the medication overboard on their method again to the mainland, after they noticed an Australian Navy patrol boat chasing them. The 2 males have been arrested by Queensland Water Police shortly after the pursuit.
Nathan Baggaley, who received silver medals on the 2004 Athens Olympics within the Ok-1 and Ok-2 over 500 meters and is a three-time world champion over the Ok-1 500 distance, was charged virtually a yr later after it was decided he bought and fitted out the boat which was used through the failed plot.
Legal professionals for the boys argued Dru Baggaley had believed the handfuls of packages contained tobacco, whereas Nathan Baggaley knew nothing a few plan to import any illicit substance.
Choose Justice Ann Lyons rejected the brothers’ claims and sentenced them Tuesday on the premise that Dru Baggaley was a “principal organizer” of the operation and his brother Nathan was “actively concerned” on the day the 2 males went to sea, and was set to be rewarded considerably for his function.
Nathan Baggaley, 45, must serve 12 years in custody earlier than he’s eligible to use for parole, whereas Dru Baggaley might be eligible to use for parole after 16 years.
Nathan Baggaley was banned for taking steroids in 2005 whereas nonetheless competing as a kayaker. The brothers have been jailed in 2009 for manufacturing and supplying massive numbers of ecstasy tablets, and once more in 2015 for producing occasion drugs and conspiring to make methamphetamine.
He’s not the one Australian Olympic medalist to be accused of drug-related crimes. In February, former Olympic swimmer Scott Miller was charged with drug trafficking after Australian police seized methamphetamine valued at 2 million Australian {dollars} ($1.6 million) and accused him of directing a legal syndicate. Police arrested the 45-year-old Miller after discovering methylamphetamine hid in eight candles in January, a police assertion stated.
