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Columbian man jailed for 2017 cocaine importation


Australian Federal Police
18 Sep 2020

A 27-year-old Columbian national has been sentenced to four years' imprisonment after being found guilty for cocaine trafficking and proceeds of crime offences.

In September 2017, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) commenced an investigation codenamed Operation Prohodna into a South American syndicate suspected of importing drugs via air cargo into Melbourne.

As a result of this investigation, three South American nationals were arrested and charged in October 2017, after a search warrant was executed at a home in Altona North, Victoria. All three plead guilty to drug related offending, and were sentenced to terms of imprisonment.

A fourth man of interest was identified as part of the investigation, after police uncovered 263.8 grams of pure cocaine and more than $2000 cash in a bedroom during the search warrant.

This man, the 27-year-old Colombian national, was later tracked down by the AFP and arrested in January 2020 in Maribyrnong. An additional $5000 cash was seized following the execution of a search warrant on his residence.

He was charged with one count of trafficking a marketable quantity of a border controlled drug, namely cocaine, contrary to section 302.3(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth); and two counts of dealing with money or other property reasonably suspected of being proceeds of crime under $100,000, contrary to section 400.9(1A) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth)

The man entered a guilty plea and on Wednesday (16 September) in the Melbourne County Court was sentenced to four years imprisonment with a non-parole period of two years.

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