Former Aussie Olympic kayaker Nathan Baggaley pleads guilty to failed $200m cocaine import plot

A shock court twist has emerged in the case of two men – one a former Olympic kayaker – accused of taking part in a bungled $200m drug import plot.

Disgraced former Olympic kayaker Nathan Baggaley has pleaded guilty to his role in a bungled plot to import $200m worth of cocaine into Australia.

Nathan Baggaley, a silver medallist and former world champion kayaker, and his brother Dru were due to stand trial over an alleged plot to smuggle $200m worth of cocaine into Australia from a foreign freighter back in 2018, after successfully appealing their earlier convictions for the plot.

The pair were both facing one charge each of attempting to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug.

During his arraignment at Brisbane Supreme Court on Thursday, Nathan entered a plea of guilty to the charge.

His brother Dru had pleaded guilty to the same charge on Wednesday.

Nathan Baggaley, a former Australian Olympic kayaker, pleaded guilty at Brisbane Supreme Court on Thursday to his role in a failed attempt to import $200m worth of cocaine into Australia back in 2018. Picture: Getty Images

Dru Baggaley, Nathan’s brother, pleaded guilty to the same charge on Wednesday. Both brothers had initially pleaded not guilty during their Supreme Court trial back in 2021. Picture: Supplied

Asked if he wished to say anything following the plea, Nathan said: “No, Your Honour”.

The pair were due to face a two-week trial from October 28 on the charges.

The trial was delisted but the court was told the Crown and the Baggaleys’ legal teams had difficulty finding availability for sentencing around that same time.

The matter was adjourned to a date to be fixed.

Both brothers were hit with the charges following an attempt to import more than 500kg of cocaine into Australia back in 2018.

Police intercepted Dru and another man, Anthony Draper, during the attempted smuggling act. Picture: Supplied

The Crown contended Nathan bought an inflatable boat which he fitted out with $10,000 worth of gear, including a satellite phone and GPS system.

He was also alleged to have communicated with his brother on an encrypted phone, using the alias “Thunderbutt”.

Dru and another man, Anthony Draper, were alleged to have used the boat to retrieve the packages of cocaine from a foreign freighter some 360km off the coast of Queensland.

The drugs had an estimated street value of $200m.

The Crown contended packages of cocaine were dumped into the sea after Dru and Draper attempted to evade marine authorities.

The Crown contended packages of cocaine were dumped into the sea during the attempted evasion. Picture: Supplied

Draper was sentenced to 13 years in jail for his role in the plot.

Nathan and Dru Baggaley initially pleaded not guilty to their respective charges during a trial in 2021.

A jury found them guilty – with Nathan being sentenced to 25 years’ jail and Dru being handed a 28-year jail term.

But the brothers successfully appealed their convictions earlier this year, with Queensland’s Court of Appeal ordering a retrial for both of them.

In their published reasons, the Court of Appeal stated the trial counsel for Dru Baggaley failed to ask questions at trial to elicit evidence about the phone.

It included allegations of how Draper had posted the phone to Dru and asked him to buy a SIM card and charge card.

“No questions were asked as to the appellant’s having done that, or as to his having inserted the SIM card and the charge card into the phone at his parents’ house,” the judgment states.

Nathan Baggaley won two silver medals in Athens in 2004 and the World Championship in the K1-500 in 2002 and 2003. Picture: AFP

The Crown contended Nathan Baggaley used an encrypted phone to communicate with his brother, using the alias “Thunderbutt”. Picture: Supplied

“This omission was significant because the ownership of the phone was crucial to the Crown case against the appellant.”

“Failing to give the appellant the opportunity to give evidence about his coming into possession of the phone; his buying a SIM card and recharge card for it, and then passing it over to Draper was to fail to allow the appellant to put a very material part of his case before the jury.”

The court was told Dru believed the packets actually contained tobacco.

Originally published as Former Aussie Olympic kayaker Nathan Baggaley pleads guilty to failed $200m cocaine import plot