Tereapii Pokoina pleads guilty to $20m cocaine haul intercepted as part of Operation Ironside

After more than a year of maintaining his innocence, a man who went to collect $20m worth of cocaine hidden in a welder has confessed to his crime.

After more than a year maintaining his innocence, a man charged with importing $20m of cocaine hidden in a welder has admitted his role in the crime.

Tereapii Pokoina, 48, became one of the first Operation Ironside arrests after 18kg of the drug was seized at Adelaide Airport in September 2020.

In the aftermath of Ironside resolution day last June, when the encrypted AN0M was shut down, the cocaine seizure was identified as one of the first successes of the operation.

Pokoina, who attended a freight outlet at Adelaide Airport on several occasions to try to collect the welder, was charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug.

He pleaded not guilty in the Adelaide Magistrates Court but at the culmination of a special directions hearing in May entered a plea of guilty.

Tereapii Pokoina being led into court after being arrested over the $20m cocaine haul. Picture: Nine News

The shipment was received from Greece, where the bricks of cocaine were found hidden in a safe, which was itself placed inside the commercial welder.

Several other men, many of whom now have their names suppressed to protect upcoming trials, were charged with organising to bring the drugs into the country.

Messages allegedly sent and received on the encrypted AN0M platform have been presented to both the magistrates and supreme courts as the men arrested applied for bail.

The welder which contained 18kg of cocaine worth $20m.

The welder which contained 18kg of cocaine worth $20m. Some of the packages of cocaine visible.

Police allege the other members of the syndicate discussed the delay in Pokoina picking up the welder.

“He said he has gone there three times to collect,” one of the messages read.

“It’s so f. kin strange, it’s been one week since it landed and he has not been hit by the AFP.”

Another alleged member of the syndicate said “Either it’s off and they pulling apart and replacing with dummys or it’s cleaned (and) will be available for (pick) up tomoz”.

Later that same day, one of the men said “Yeah (he’s) gone, what a good bloke though, f. kin spewing”.

The packaging that allegedly contained the cocaine

One of the bricks of cocaine.

The next day, on September 8, 2020, police raided Pokoina’s Hyde Park home and arrested him.

They seized a phone containing email correspondence relating to the importation of the welder and a printed picture of the welder.

Officers noted there were no clothes or tools that were conducive with metal fabrication or welding at his house.

A day later, one of the men allegedly messaged saying “Now the pigs will be working backwards, hopefully they don’t come knocking”.

Pokoina faces a maximum penalty of life in prison for the importation. He will appear in court for sentencing submissions at a date to be set.

Originally published as Tereapii Pokoina pleads guilty to $20m cocaine haul intercepted as part of Operation Ironside