James Blake Blee charged with manslaughter after coke diver found dead at Newcastle Port

James Blake Blee has been charged with manslaughter and people smuggling following the death of a Brazilian diver and the alleged importation of more than $20m of cocaine.

Superyacht tour operator James ‘Jimmy’ Blake Blee is facing fresh charges after a Brazilian cocaine diver was found dead floating in waters in the state’s Hunter Region earlier this year.

Organised Crime Squad detectives have laid additional charges against Mr Blee, 62, as part of investigations into the death of 31-year-old Brazilian national Bruno Borges Martins, and the alleged importation of more than $20 million – about 60kg – of cocaine in the Port of Newcastle.

At 11am on Tuesday, the 62-year-old was arrested at a correctional facility in Grafton and charged with manslaughter, two counts of people smuggling, and knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime.

Police will allege Mr Blee engaged in unlawful activity which resulted in the death of the diver, Mr Martins.

It is further alleged he illegally smuggled Mr Martins and an associate into Australia from Indonesia.

Mr Blee is facing fresh charges in relation to the $20 million drug haul.

On May 9, emergency services were called to the Port of Newcastle after port workers found the male scuba diver – later formally identified as Bruno Borges Martins – floating unconscious in water near what would later be tallied as 54kg of cocaine.

The workers, along with NSW Ambulance paramedics, performed CPR to try and revive the Mr Martins, but he died at the scene.

Dead in the water … Bruno Borges, 31, in scuba diving gear under a ship. Picture: Supplied

Bruno Borges

near a cocaine shipment. Picture: LinkedIn

Officers from Newcastle Police District and Marine Area Command established a crime scene, before detectives from the State Crime Command’s Organised Crime Squad took over and Strike Force Groove was established.

A multi-agency effort with the help of the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Australian Border Force (ABF), Northern Territory Police (NTPOL) and Queensland Police Service (QPS) is ongoing as investigations continue.

Police divers at the scene. Picture: Peter Lorimer

A number of police divers search the area following the grim discovery.

Crew on board the cargo ship in the Port of Newcastle. Picture: Peter Lorimer

Following the discovery of the diver, The Daily Telegraph understands that police spent more time recovering more bundles of cocaine from inside the hull of the ship.

Initial inquiries also indicated to police that sophisticated military-grade diving equipment was likely to have been used by scuba divers to recover the illegal drugs.

Days after the incident, Mr Blee was arrested trying to leave the country and extradited to NSW.

He was known to have run tours of the Whitsundays and also auditioned for the reality TV show Survivor in 2019.

The 62-year-old has been remanded in custody and is next due to appear at Downing Centre Local Court next Wednesday, October 5.