‘No evidence’ superyacht operator’s son knew of cocaine
The son of a superyacht tour operator denies knowing his father was involved in a failed plot to extract cocaine from the hull of a cargo ship.
James Lake-Kusviandy Blee, 24, is accused of conspiring with his father, James Lake Blee, and two divers to obtain a 57kg package of cocaine on May 9, 2022.
The drugs were hidden in the hull of the Arti Gr Majura, which was transporting soybean meal from Argentina to the Port of Newcastle.
“But the plan went awry, with only one of the divers returning,” lead prosecutor Katrina Curry said as Blee Jr’s criminal trial began on Thursday.
The package, containing 42 wraps of cocaine and wrapped in black tarpaulin, was found by water police on nearby Kooragang Island, a 12-man jury heard in Sydney’s Downing Center District Court.
The 24-year-old man pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of an illegally imported border controlled drug.
While examining the package washed ashore, NSW Police found that it contained almost 35kg of pure cocaine.
Ms. Curry said there was a circumstantial case against Blee Jr. from which jurors could infer he was aware of the plan.
He said the 24-year-old ran errands for his father, for example by purchasing the diving equipment used in the operation, and then stayed on shore and watched the rescue at night.
The jury heard the divers were equipped with a range of equipment, including breathing apparatus and sea bombs, to dive to depths of 10 meters and retrieve drugs from a compartment on the cargo ship known as a sea chest.
Ms. Curry said that in March 2022, Blee Sr. was exploring rebreather training that would allow divers to stay underwater stealthily for longer periods of time without bubbles forming on the surface.
The prosecutor said the father and son traveled by yacht from Darwin to Bali, Indonesia, a month ago.
Blee Sr then traveled to Dubai, where he met with a man known as Irishman to get details about the drug scheme.
In April 2022, father and son left Bali on a yacht for Darwin with two divers.
Ms. Curry argued that in the months before the botched operation, jurors would conclude that Blee Jr. used encrypted apps to talk to his father about the plan.
After a diver failed to return, Blee Jr bought a one-way flight home to the Gold Coast.
Defense lawyer Daniel Pace said his client did not dispute that there was a commercial quantity of cocaine, but denied knowing about it.
He said there was no direct evidence that the father and son discussed a scheme to obtain cocaine.
He added that Blee Jr. was following his father’s instructions.
The trial continues.
