Police foil alleged plot to smuggle ice from California
A BRAZEN alleged drug smuggling plot to fly hundreds of kilograms of the dirty drug ice into regional Victoria has been linked to the discovery of $2.4m cash in a truck near Mildura.
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A BRAZEN alleged drug smuggling plot to fly hundreds of kilograms of the dirty drug ice into regional Victoria has been linked to the discovery of $2.4m cash in a truck near Mildura.
A Melbourne pilot allegedly planned to fly solo half way around the world in a small plane stuffed with more than 250kg worth of ice destined for Australian addicts.
Many retirees plan overseas travel adventures but 72-year-old Melton South’s Hugh John Gorman took his to dangerous heights, allegedly joining an international drug ring with a brazen scheme to fly packages of ice from the US.
Mr Gorman, and small-time suburban accountant Peter Caluzzi, from Maribyrnong, were among three men arrested as Australian Federal Police worked to smash the sophisticated smuggling syndicate.
Police allege their co-accused, a 52-year-old from Zetland in New South Wales, was also connected to the discovery of a semi-trailer full of cash.
In April, drug addict truck driver Adrian Miller, 41, was nabbed on the Sturt Hwy allegedly carrying millions of dollars worth of notes from Adelaide police suspected was the profits of a drug trafficking empire.
A joint investigation between authorities in Australia and the US has since allegedly linked the truck to one of the men allegedly involved in the plane plan.
It’s alleged Mr Gorman, a qualified pilot, was to pose as a holiday-maker and “island hop” 13,000km across the Pacific Ocean in a six-seater plane from California to a rural Victorian airport.
“Now I’m not a good flyer at the best of times but that’s certainly not a plane I would have liked to be on,” AFP Superintendent Krissy Barrett said.
“We’ll allege that there was a sophisticated concealment plan for the drugs ... that would have involved the removal of the passenger seats.
“We think that the drugs were destined to be distributed along the east coast of Australia.”
Who was to collect the drugs when they touched down in Australia is still under investigation, but police are probing whether the syndicate was linked to outlaw bikie gangs or other organised crime groups.
The group’s alleged plans began to unravel following a tip-off to police and the subsequent discovery by Drug Enforcement Agency officers of crystal substances in a Californian warehouse.
The AFP then swooped at Tullamarine Airport on July 5 to stop Mr Gorman boarding a flight overseas.
Investigators allege Mr Gorman planned to travel to California to pick up a Cessna 210 allegedly purchased by the drug syndicate.
Two weeks later they stopped the New South Wales man at Sydney International Airport.
Mr Caluzzi, 58, was on Wednesday nabbed at his Sunshine firm PC Accounting Services.
Traders near his Hampshire Rd business said they saw plain-clothed police leading him away.
Others said they were shocked by news of his arrest.
“They look like a really professional business,” one trader said.
“What a***holes … there’s enough drugs in Sunshine — it ruins families.”
Supt Barrett said the investigation had stopped the ice having a “devastating” impact on Australian communities.
The men were charged with a range of offences including conspiracy to import drugs, and money laundering.