The last of five men involved in an international drug ring behind the attempted importation of $73 million worth of drugs into Western Australia has admitted his role in the bungled operation.
Frenchman Antoine Dicenta, 53, was one of the two smugglers found hiding with the drugs on a tiny island, named Burton, in the Abrolhos archipelago off the coast of Geraldton in WA's Midwest region.
He and British man Graham Palmer had been stranded there for more than 24 hours after their yacht, named Zero, ran aground on another island about eight kilometres away.
Local fishermen in the area had seen the abandoned yacht and alerted authorities who discovered the pair, and 40 duffel bags that were partially covered in seaweed and rocks.
Those bags contained around 900 kilograms of cocaine, ecstasy and methylamphetamine, more commonly known as ice, with an estimated value of $73 million.
Dicenta had been due to stand trial in the Supreme Court, but today he changed his plea to guilty.
That led to a series of suppression orders being lifted, which meant details of the case could be revealed, including that four other men have already been convicted of involvement in the importation.
Pocket dial records drugs being loaded on boat
British man Jason Lassiter, American Scott Jones and Angus Jackson from New South Wales were found guilty after a lengthy trial earlier this year.
Palmer, who was arrested on the island along with Dicenta, pleaded guilty earlier this month.
The court was told Dicenta and Palmer had picked up the drugs on July 27, 2019, at Richards Bay in South Africa where they were loaded onto the yacht from another vessel.
In what was a series of bungles that plagued the importation, Dicenta appeared to have accidentally recorded the moment the drugs were taken on board on his mobile phone.
It was played to the court, and male voices could be heard swearing about the large amount of drugs being handed over and making references to "cocaine" and "ice".
Commonwealth Prosecutor Darren Renton SC alleged there was a sense of urgency in the recording for the men to get the drugs stowed away before another vessel came closer.
Data taken from electronic devices that were seized after the men's arrest put them as arriving in the Abrolhos region around September 1, 2019.
The court was told satellite phones that were seized by police revealed the men had been in communication with a man named John Alexander Roy after their arrival in the area.
Second boat to get drugs runs aground
In text messages, Roy asked about "the girls" which Mr Renton alleged was the code word for the drugs.
The court heard after the Zero ran aground, Dicenta and Palmer loaded the duffel bags full of drugs onto the tender and headed for Burton Island where they called and messaged Roy.
"Please ask the guys to hurry or we f….d …", a text message from the Zero phone said.
The reference to "guys" was in relation to another vessel, referred to as a Bayliner in court, which had Lassiter, Jackson and Jones on board.
It was in the area as part of the importation plot and was meant to rendezvous with the Zero and take possession of the drugs.
However, the Bayliner too ran aground on a reef on another island where it remained stuck for around 12 hours before it was helped by a local fisherman.
During that time, Dicenta and Palmer continued to frantically communicate with Roy.
"Tell your friend to stop f…..g around and come and get ASAP otherwise I wil leave the girls here and get my own taxi out of here," another text message from the Zero phone said.
By the time the Bayliner arrived at Burton Island hours later, police had found the drugs and arrested Dicenta and Palmer.
At their trial, Lassiter, Jones and Jackson denied any involvement or knowledge of the importation, instead claiming they were in the Abrolhos on a "boys' trip" to snorkel, fish, and "drink a few beers together".
However, the jury rejected their defence and found them guilty after around four hours of deliberations.
The three are due to face a sentencing hearing later this week, while Dicenta and Palmer will face sentencing hearings at the end of May.
