Third man extradited from Serbia over 1.28 tonnes cocaine seizure
Tristan Waters has been extradited from Serbia to face charges over 1.28 tonnes of cocaine allegedly smuggled into Sydney inside prefabricated steel.
The third Australian man charged over one of the biggest shipments of cocaine in the nation’s history will remain behind bars after being extradited from Serbia.
Prolific property developer Tristan Waters fronted Central Local Court on Thursday accused of trying to smuggle a whopping 1.28 tonnes of coke nearly two years ago.
The 35-year-old, who had been living in the United Arab Emirates, stepped off a plane at Sydney Airport on Wednesday night after languishing in a Serbian prison for a year.
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Waters and his two co-accused David Campbell and steel importer Rohan Arnold were arrested in January 2018 when Serbian police stormed an up-market Belgrade hotel and seized $1 million in cash.
The Australian Federal Police allege Waters was part of a Serbian-based organised crime syndicate behind the importation of a $500 million drug haul.
It comes amid an unrelated investigation in which the Australian Border Force intercepted 2,576 cocaine blocks found inside prefabricated steel on a Chinese container boat that docked in Sydney in April 2017.
The cocaine seized was tested at 78 per cent purity.
Waters did not apply for bail when he appeared via video link and will remain in custody until he faces court again alongside Arnold and Campbell on February 13.
According to court documents, the former co-director of CREI Camperdown listed a luxurious hotel on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah as his home in the UAE and an apartment block in the Canberra suburb of Barton as his Australian address.
He was charged with commercial drug importation and two conspiracy offences after allegedly financing and organising the scheme.
Arnold, 44 and Campbell, 49, are both from Murrumbateman in country NSW and remain in custody after being extradited last year.
Arnold is a well-known figure in the Australian livestock and construction community with 20 years’ experience in the steel manufacturing industry.
Prior to his arrest, the director of ArnoldCo ran a personal blog where he advised followers on the global steel economy, it’s understood.
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