Crime gang tricked over $500m drug haul

Members of an international crime syndicate may have been led to believe their cocaine shipment was stolen as ATO links emerge.

Rohan Arnold has been arrested in Serbia.

Members of an international crime syndicate may have been led to believe their shipment of more than a tonne of cocaine to Sydney had been stolen rather than intercepted by police.

The discovery by Australian authorities of the huge haul of drugs in a container of prefabricated steel last April led to an ­intense operation that culminated in the arrest in Serbia of three Australians including prominent businessman Rohan Arnold this week.

The Australian Border Force discovered the 1.28 tonnes of ­cocaine, valued at up to $500 million, on a container that had come via China.

It was the second-biggest seizure of cocaine in Australian history, behind only the discovery of 1.4 tonnes of the drug in a separate AFP-ABF operation just months earlier, in February.

However, authorities kept the find secret as they launched a major investigation, leaving the syndicate behind the importation to deal with the sudden and unexplained disappearance of their shipment.

Details of the operation have not yet been released by police, but information from Serbia suggests syndicate members had a false steer that the drugs were ­stolen by a crime organisation.

The AFP declined to comment yesterday.

Among his various business interests, Mr Arnold, 43, is a director and shareholder of SELX, a livestock saleyard operator. He had been due to help open the $16m Western Victorian Livestock Exchange in Mortlake on Monday.

Instead he is in custody in ­Serbia along with Tristan Waters, 34, and David Campbell, 48, after their arrest in Belgrade’s luxury Metropol Palace hotel.

Mr Waters appears to have ties to some of the figures in the alleged tax-fraud syndicate involving former tax office deputy commissioner Michael Cranston’s son Adam.

In 2016 he was listed as being a director in a company called CREI Camperdown with Daniel Hausman, who was charged over an alleged blackmail attempt against the tax-fraud syndicate.

A website for Canberra business Triswat Constructions says Mr Waters has been involved in more than 200 projects.

Belgrade lawyer Jaksa Pekovic said he had spoken to Mr Arnold and Mr Waters, who were detained in the Belgrade suburb of Padinska Skela.

The men had expressed surprise at their arrest, he said.

“At this moment there is no criminal charge against Waters and Arnold,” he said.

Mr Pekovic said one of the men had health issues, but did not elaborate. Mr Campbell has been accused of having a gun in his possession, Serbian media said.