Yachties in bumbled drug import - appeal rejected

by Sail-World Cruising on 10 Apr 2010 22 to 25 years, they are the sentences for some bumbling yachties who tried to import $22.5m worth of cocaine from Mexico into Australia, sailing it across the Pacific via French Polynesia, The Cook Islands, Tonga and Noumea. An American, an Australian and a Peruvian managed to get the cocaine wet on the way, and didn't know they were trailed by Federal Police.

When the 56ft yacht Sparkles Plenty with Peter Jackson as skipper sailed into Brisbane's Moreton Bay in May 2001, police and customs officials were waiting for them. On board they found 89 kilograms of cocaine, and additionally about 40 kilos which had been spoiled by water on the way. It was hidden in a water tank of a runabout boat that was tied to the stern of the yacht.

The Peruvian, Jorge Ernesto Velarde-Silva, 47, had been appealing against the severity of his 24 year sentence, but lost the appeal this week.

American sailor Peter Jackson and Australian Kevin Nudd are already serving similar sentences. The Australian Kevin Nudd had been extradited to Australia from Los Angeles where he had been living and sentenced to 22 years' jail with a non-parole period of 11 years. The American, Peter Jackson was sentenced to 25 years' jail with a non-parole period of 13 years.

Panic had apparently set in in Tahiti in September 2000 when Peter Jackson, who had his son Gareth on board, discovered that 29 of the 99 packages of cocaine had become waterlogged. Then the problem was discussed in phone calls between Jackson, Mr Velarde Silva and Kevin Nudd, and the trio talked about what they would do about the water-logged packages, referring to them as 'damaged goods'. What they didn't know was that the police were listening to every word.

The yacht then spent five months in Noumea before undertaking the final leg to Australia. During that time, the Jacksons spent three months in Sydney while buyers were sought, then returned to the US when their visas expired.

While they were in Sydney, Mr Nudd’s sister attempted to obtain a false passport for Peter Jackson but was unsuccessful. Jackson then obtained one in the US and flew to Noumea to sail the yacht to Australia.

In a tale that reads like a bad movie script, they just couldn't take a trick. Police had installed listening devices in the Jacksons’ Sydney hotel room and taped all their telephone conversations, including 11 with Kevin Nudd. The evidence was pretty hard to resist, but the judges seemed to have no problems this week in resisting appeal against the severity of the sentences.