Benjamin Klein in court
Klein allegedly hid the drugs in the fuselage of a plane bound for Sydney.
When the plane arrived in Sydney, the trusted insider – one of the three men already convicted – removed the hidden drugs and drove them from airside security to his car.
Investigators also seized $1.6 million in cash during Operation Hayman.
Cash seized by the Australian Federal Police.Credit:AFP
AFP Detective Superintendent Morgen Blunden said time is not on the side of suspected drug importers as they try to stay outside Australia to avoid prosecution.
“AFP is constantly on alert for anyone with a pending arrest warrant trying to re-enter the country,” he said.
“They may think that if they stay away long enough, we’ll forget their alleged crimes, but they’re wrong.”
“AFP is constantly on alert for anyone with a pending arrest warrant who is attempting to re-enter the country.”
AFP detective tomorrow Blunden
Detective Superintendent Peter Faux, of the NSW Police Organized Crime Unit, said cooperation between state and federal law enforcement partners meant historical criminals were always on their radar.
“Our detectives and intelligence units will continue to work together on such cases to ensure those who seek to bring these harmful substances to our shores are held accountable and brought to justice,” he said.
ABF Superintendent Elvir Tupkovic praised the officers’ work and said they will always be one step ahead.
“Our highly trained and experienced ABF officers continue to demonstrate that they will find shipments of drugs, wherever they come from or however they may be hidden,” he said.
The maximum penalty for Klein’s alleged offenses is life imprisonment or 25 years in prison.
Klein stood before Parramatta Magistrates’ Court on March 5 and was remanded in custody, only to appear again at Downing Center Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
Police encourage anyone with information about suspicious border activity or border-related crime to report it via Border Watch at borderwatch.gov.au. Information can be given anonymously.
The Morning Edition Newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Login here.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/man-arrested-at-sydney-airport-after-a-decade-in-asia-police-allege-20230315-p5cs6k.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_national_nsw Benjamin Klein in court
