steeliz
Kennel Addict
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2012
- Messages
- 7,171
- Reaction score
- 7,993
http://www.msn.com/en-au/news/austr...ply-900kg-of-cocaine/ar-BB17LN1f?ocid=UE13DHP
Aukuso Junior Paulo, 36, was arrested in a dramatic police operation in Sydney's Centennial Park in December 2017, which involved stun grenades and non-lethal rounds.
He and his co-offender, Kigi Kamuta, were in possession of two pistols, encrypted Blackberry phones and nearly $650,000 in cash.
After a judge-alone trial in the NSW District Court, they were each found guilty of a plot to supply 900kg of cocaine through a liaison known as "Peking Duck".
On the day they were arrested, the pair intended to pick up the first of two shipments of the drugs.
Judge Antony Townsden today said each of the offenders played a central role in the receipt of the delivery, although "Peking Duck" was the primary player.
He accepted Paulo, who played for the Eels before retiring due to injury, had good prospects of rehabilitation compared to most prisoners.
Judge Townsden handed Paulo a maximum term of 17 years with a non-parole period of 11 years and four months.
He will be eligible for parole in April 2029, having been in custody since his 2017 arrest.
The court heard Paulo was enrolling in his first year of a Bachelor of Science and Psychology.
In a hand-written letter to the court, Paulo recalled a "difficult and dysfunctional upbringing" where his mother lived in refuge homes.
After his NRL career was cut short, he turned to drinking and gambling and believed the failed drug plot to be a way to make quick cash.
Kamuta described his involvement in the crimes as "the worst decision" of his life and said he was not thinking properly at the time.
He expressed regret over the impact on his wife, who was "an emotional wreck", and said he didn't think about the consequences of his actions.
Kamuta was handed a maximum sentence of 16 years with a minimum of 10 years and nine months.
He will be eligible for early release in September 2028.
Aukuso Junior Paulo, 36, was arrested in a dramatic police operation in Sydney's Centennial Park in December 2017, which involved stun grenades and non-lethal rounds.
He and his co-offender, Kigi Kamuta, were in possession of two pistols, encrypted Blackberry phones and nearly $650,000 in cash.
After a judge-alone trial in the NSW District Court, they were each found guilty of a plot to supply 900kg of cocaine through a liaison known as "Peking Duck".
On the day they were arrested, the pair intended to pick up the first of two shipments of the drugs.
Judge Antony Townsden today said each of the offenders played a central role in the receipt of the delivery, although "Peking Duck" was the primary player.
He accepted Paulo, who played for the Eels before retiring due to injury, had good prospects of rehabilitation compared to most prisoners.
Judge Townsden handed Paulo a maximum term of 17 years with a non-parole period of 11 years and four months.
He will be eligible for parole in April 2029, having been in custody since his 2017 arrest.
The court heard Paulo was enrolling in his first year of a Bachelor of Science and Psychology.
In a hand-written letter to the court, Paulo recalled a "difficult and dysfunctional upbringing" where his mother lived in refuge homes.
After his NRL career was cut short, he turned to drinking and gambling and believed the failed drug plot to be a way to make quick cash.
Kamuta described his involvement in the crimes as "the worst decision" of his life and said he was not thinking properly at the time.
He expressed regret over the impact on his wife, who was "an emotional wreck", and said he didn't think about the consequences of his actions.
Kamuta was handed a maximum sentence of 16 years with a minimum of 10 years and nine months.
He will be eligible for early release in September 2028.
