Nathan Baggaley, an Australian Olympic champion, and his brother Dru have been found guilty of trying to smuggle hundreds of kilograms of cocaine valued at more than $150 million into the country in 2018.
According to Nine News, Nathan Baggaley, who won two silver medals at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens for kayaking, and his brother had pleaded not guilty but an Australian jury in Brisbane jury found both men guilty following a two-week trial.
Back in 2018 Dru Baggaley and another man were arrested after law enforcement intercepted their boat
Authorities seized more than 500 kilograms of cocaine, according to court documents.
The boat had met a larger foreign vessel off the coast of New South Wales and was subsequently intercepted, according to the prosecution’s case as outlined in court documents.
A press release from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) notes the men tried to evade law enforcement and video footage showed them throwing bags overboard.
Nathan Baggaley, who wasn’t on board the boat at the time of the arrests, purchased the vessel and directed the installation of navigation technology, according to court documents.
Court documents from the prosecutor show evidence linking Nathan Baggaley to the case, as his fingerprint was found on a piece of tape used to cover the boat’s registration plate.
The prosecutor also detailed how the Olympian attempted to contact his brother Dru while he was at sea.
It’s not the first time the brothers have been convicted and served time in connection with drugs charges in the past.
They now face possibility of life imprisonment.
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