Daniel Nunes Negrine jailed for bungled cocaine smuggling attempt after a decade at large

A man who fled the state for over a decade – abandoning his fiancee just months before their wedding – has been jailed for his role in an attempt to import over 1kg of cocaine.

Daniel Nunes Negrine was randomly pulled over in Western Australia for a traffic matter when police realised who he was. Picture: AFP

A man who fled the state for over a decade – abandoning his fiance just months before their wedding – has been jailed after a Brisbane jury found him guilty of attempting to import over a kilo of cocaine into Australia.

Daniel Nunes Negrine, 42, was sentenced to eight years jail on Wednesday afternoon after being found guilty at trial of conspiring to import a marketable quantity of a border controlled drug.

Negrine’s fiance was in tears as he was escorted into custody, despite a court hearing how he had abandoned her for over a decade while on the run from the law.

The Brisbane Supreme Court heard Negrine had played a “relatively important role” in an attempt to import 1.388g of cocaine, in just over 2kgs of substance, from New Zealand in early 2012.

Negrine had been charged in March 2012 – but he fled the state just two months before he was due to be married, the court was told.

The court heard Negrine “reinvented himself” in Western Australia, working in various trades for over a decade until police randomly pulled him over for a traffic matter in August 2022.

He provided them a false name and ID, but was extradited back to Queensland after his true identity was uncovered.

Despite having abandoned his fiance in order to flee from justice, Negrine had rekindled his relationship with her upon his return to Queensland and still intended to marry her, the court heard.

His fiance attended court to support him at his sentence, after he pleaded not guilty to the charge and faced trial last week.

Justice Rebecca Treston told the court at Negrine’s sentence that coded messages between Negrine and his co-offenders showed he was “well connected” to the plan to import cocaine.

The importation attempt was ultimately derailed when the drugs were detected and seized in New Zealand, the court was told.

Police later uncovered $350,000 in cash inside a vehicle that Negrine possessed keys for, along with additional cash concealed in two couches, at his Coolangatta residence.

Justice Treston noted there were no charges relating to the cash.

Although Negrine hadn’t physically handled the drugs, those carrying it out had looked to him for “advice or instruction,” she said.

Justice Treston said the evidence didn’t go so far to say he had been a “mastermind”, but she rejected submissions that Negrine’s involvement had simply been peripheral.

The court heard Negrine had been born in Brazil and his lack of Australian citizenship meant he was liable for deportation upon his release.

He had no criminal history and had not reoffended in Western Australia.

But Justice Treston said Negrine had “not shown any remorse or contrition” through his choices to flee the state and then plead not-guilty.

Negrine’s fiance burst into tears as Justice Treston sentenced Negrine to eight years in jail, with a non parole period of four years and three months.

Negrine’s 812 days in pre-sentence custody was declared time-served, and he was escorted back into custody.