Nicholas Evans and Colin Lee-Ferguson sentenced at NT Supreme Court

Two mates who plotted to smuggle cocaine stuffed in a shoebox have been sentenced, with the details of their ambitious plan now laid bare.

Longtime mates and Jingili housemates Nicholas Evans (bottom right) and Collin Lee-Ferguson (top left) have been sentenced for their ambitious plot to smuggle cocaine into Darwin from South America.

Two friends who plotted to smuggle more than 100 grams of cocaine stuffed in a shoebox have been sentenced, with the details of their ambitious plan now laid bare.

Almost a year to when they were arrested and charged, Jingili housemates Nicholas Evans, 35, and Colin Lee-Ferguson, 36, learned their fate at the NT Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Court documents show that on June 6, 2024, a parcel box sent from Lima, Peru, was X-rayed by Australian Border Force officers at a location in Coconut Grove.

Anomalies found during X-ray prompted authorities to take the contents to their East Arm facility for further inspection.

About $60k of cocaine had been stashed in the shoes.

Inside the box, a pair of sneakers were found to have bags of cocaine concealed within the soles of the shoes.

A total of 103.2 grams of pure cocaine was seized, with an estimated street value of $65k.

Authorities commenced surveillance operations on Australia Post Casuarina – the parcel’s intended destination.

On June 12, Evans entered the Post office to pick up the parcel.

An undercover officer, posing as an Australia Post employee, had Evans electronically sign for the parcel with his finger, before handing over a substitute package.

The parcel was collected at the Casuarina Australia Post office.

When Evans crossed the street, police swarmed on the location and arrested Evans, as well as Lee-Ferguson who was seated in a nearby Toyota HiLux.

Formal interviews conducted by the Australian Federal Police revealed the pair were originally from Central Queensland and had been friends for 20 years.

Further, both men revealed Evans had a “drug problem”.

In May, 2025, Evans pleaded guilty to attempting to possess a marketable quantity of an unlawfully border-controlled drug.

On the same day, Lee-Ferguson pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting an attempt to possess a marketable quantity of a border-controlled drug.

On Tuesday, Evans was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, with 15 months to serve before being released on a 21-month suspended sentence.

Lee-Ferguson was handed 18 months’ imprisonment, with six months having already served, then to be a released on a 12 month suspended sentence.

Originally published as Nicholas Evans and Colin Lee-Ferguson sentenced at NT Supreme Court