Australian Tristan Waters admitted to being the cocaine lord, the jury said
“Everyone thought we robbed each other. The governor threatened me, I threatened MC, MC threatened me, we’ve all been back and forth … for eight months,” Waters allegedly said.
Loading
Flood said the statement “clearly refers to the drugs in the missing container.”
Waters reportedly said, “My other two didn’t want me to come” and “they didn’t want to risk me coming here.”
“The only reason I came is because of him, right, he’s my boyfriend,” Waters reportedly said. “I’m the one who dragged him into this, so I had to come, you know.”
The Crown submitted that Waters referred to Arnold as “him” and that the two had known each other and had common business interests since at least mid-2015.
“It is the Crown’s allegation that in these testimonies taken together, Mr Waters admits that he was one of three individuals at the head of the conspiracy who worked with people below them and were responsible for the importation of the frontier controlled drug”, said Flood.
The prosecutor claimed that Waters had greater authority than Arnold, recruited him into the conspiracy, and gave Arnold authorization to bring cash downstairs to the meeting.
Flood argued that the conspirators were “desperate to get back their very valuable medicines… which they had such trouble getting hold of” and Waters attended the meeting rather than send someone else “as he feared that , if Ivan thought a swindler was present, the whole deal would fall through again.”
The Crown alleges Campbell’s role in the import conspiracy was that he acted as the contact for the delivery of the container and tracked down its location after reporting it was lost.
Flood claimed Campbell traveled to western Sydney from Canberra in April 2017, arranged for the container to be delivered to the suburb of Llandilo, bought a van and hired a forklift and truck.
“Mr Campbell was well aware of the amount of cross-border drug hidden in the steel beams,” the prosecutor said.
Campbell also pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to possess a commercial quantity of a cross-border drug. The Crown alleges Campbell has maintained ongoing communications “to pass cocaine possession to members of the syndicate”. His attorney, Ronald Driels, previously said a defense against coercion would be relied on.
Waters has pleaded guilty to charges of property conspiracy. His attorney, David Dalton, SC, said his client took responsibility because he did not try to go to the police despite “duress” and “fear”. Defense attorneys will deliver their closing statements later this week.
The trial will continue before Judge Phillip Mahony.
