Chris Preca, Jackson Giles-Adams jailed for cocaine import plot

Two young men who sailed into the Pacific in a plot to import 1.5 tonnes of cocaine are tonight starting lengthy prison sentences after fresh details of the conspiracy were revealed.

Two mates who attempted to import 1.5 tonnes of cocaine into Australia in the hull of a fishing trawler have been sentenced to 17 years each in prison.

Christopher Preca, 34, and Jackson Giles-Adams, 28 appeared at the Downing Centre District Court from Parklea and Long Bay jails on Friday to be sentenced.

The court heard it was the first offence for both men.

The pair travelled 190 nautical miles from Newcastle over two days to meet a large Chinese fishing vessel named the ‘Zhi Vu Yun’.

Christopher Preca. Picture: Facebook

A court previously heard the Australian Border Force noticed the large Chinese fishing vessel did not have a fishing licence and alerted authorities.

Preca, a crane operator from the Blue Mountains, and Giles-Adams, a welder from Bowral, set off on their seagoing vessel, the ‘Coralynne’, on August 13 last year.

When they got to the Zhi Vu Yun, officers traced a small speedboat tracking between the vessels.

On its return home on the morning of August 15, about 150 nautical miles off the east coast of NSW, the Coralynne was stopped by a NSW Police vessel.

As police approached, they saw a person throw a black sports bag overboard, which was never recovered, the court heard.

Police and Fire and Rescue NSW personnel in hazmat gear search the fishing trawler 'Coralynne'. Picture: Toby Zerna

On the ship, they found three men, including Preca, Giles-Adams and a Hong Kong resident.

Preca was told to sit down by police but replied “no there is a fire” and gestured towards the hull of the vessel, where “explosive noises” could be heard and large flames seen.

When police later returned to the ship, they found 77 hessian-wrapped packages, with a total of 1890 individual 1kg packages with compressed white powder.

Analysis found this to be about 1.5 tonnes of pure cocaine, with an estimated value of between about $356m and $496m.

The AFP has said it is the biggest single coke bust ever in Australia.

Dozens of jerry cans with petroleum liquids, as well as fireworks and pyrotechnics were positioned around the ship, mainly in the hull’s storage compartment where the drugs were being kept.

This included two boxes of fireworks labelled “blow ‘em up bro”.

Traces of diesel were found on the clothes Preca and Giles-Adams had been wearing on the boat.

Judge Penelope Hock said the fireworks and encrypted devices discovered on the boat showed an attempt to “avoid detection”.

Police and Fire and Rescue NSW personnel in hazmat gear search the fishing trawler 'Coralynne'. Picture: Toby Zerna

She found the men were probably involved in the syndicate from at least May that year as Giles-Adams had organised payment for the boat in July, and Preca had made calls about binoculars and night-vision equipment, and completed a course in maritime radio a few months beforehand.

The court heard both men had a cocaine addiction and owed a significant drug debt, which explained their participation in the group.

Both men were supported by family at court on Friday.

Preca and Giles-Adams previously pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug.

Judge Hock sentenced both men to 17 years in prison, with a non-parole period of ten years.

They will be eligible for release on parole on August 14, 2030.