Smuggling Cocaine Worth 152 Million US Dollars, Winning 2 Medals At The Athens Olympics Face Life Sentence

Cocaine illustration. (Wikimedia Commons / US Federal Agency DEA)

JAKARTA - Former athlete like Australia who also won two silver medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics Nathan Baggaley, was found guilty of trying to smuggle cocaine worth US $ 152 million.

Together with his younger brother, Dru Baggaley, both of them will serve their sentences later this month, although they pleaded not guilty.

It started when Dru and Anthony Draper were arrested in 2018 after police carried out a dramatic sea chase involving the Australian Navy and Air Force. The ship used by the two is known to have been bought by Nathan, reports the BBC.

Dru and Draper traveled 11 hours in June 2018 to meet a foreign ship carrying drugs. However, they were found by a reconnaissance aircraft and followed by a naval ship. Footage captures Dru throwing packages of cocaine overboard while Draper attempts to escape from the ship.

They were then ambushed by a Queensland police boat off the coast and arrested by armed officers.

Dru told officers he was kidnapped and forced by Draper to travel. All he thought was carrying tobacco, not cocaine. Drua admitted that his family was threatened if he didn't help him.

However, Draper claims he was recruited by Dru to pilot the boat. Allegedly he was told they were going to take 'smoko' which was deemed marijuana. Draper pleaded guilty to importing cocaine earlier this year. However, his sentence was reduced for testifying against the Baggaley brothers.

Nathan Baggaley on track 5. (Wikimedia Commons / Perix)

Draper pleaded guilty to importing cocaine earlier this year, but had his sentence reduced for testifying against the Baggaley brothers.

Prosecutors said Nathan was involved in the plan, bought the ship and installed it with a satellite phone and navigation system. His fingerprints were also found on the tape used to hide the registration number of the ship.

However, in court Nathan said the ship was bought with money given to him from Dru. He said he was told the ship would be used to start a whale watching business, ABC News reported.

This is not the first time the brothers have been accused of drug offenses. Previously, they had been convicted of being involved in a group that made hallucinogenic tablets. They were also convicted in 2009 on other drug charges. ABC News said the two could face life imprisonment.

For your information, Nathan was an Australian Kayak athlete in the 2004 Athens Olympics. In the four-year sporting event, Nathan won two silver medals in the K-2 500m (kayak double) men and K-1 500m (like singles) men.