ABC News reports
The final player in a bungled attempt to smuggle hundreds of kilograms of drugs with an estimated value of up to $185 million into Western Australia has been sentenced to 26 years in jail.
Key points:
- Antoine Dicenta skippered a yacht to collect the drugs from South Africa
- But the plan began falling apart when the boat ran aground
- The drugs would have been worth up to $185 million on the street
Frenchman Antoine Dicenta, who turned 55 last Friday, is the fifth and final man to be jailed over the massive haul, which was discovered on a tiny island in the Houtman Abrolhos archipelago, off the coast of Geraldton, in September 2019.
Law enforcement agencies had no idea the cocaine, methamphetamine and ecstasy was being smuggled into the country, but the attempt was exposed after a series of mishaps, including an accidental phone recording, two boats running aground and a giant seal.
The smuggling attempt started off the eastern coast of South Africa in July 2019, when Dicenta, who was skippering a boat called the Zero, collected the drugs from another vessel.
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