Sneaker smuggling plot comes undone after cocaine found in hidden package
The two men planned to import more than 100g of the drug using a shoebox filled with sneakers and food, the police claim.
Pictures released by the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Border Force show a white powder substance stuffed beneath the soles of a pair of sneakers.
The package was initially intercepted in June 2024 when ABF officers found the 131 grams concealed bag of cocaine in an air cargo shipment from Peru.
The AFP conducted a 'controlled delivery' of the cocaine at a parcel collection point in Darwin on 12 June 2024, where they arrested the two men who unwittingly attempted to collect the parcel – which had been substituted with another white powder.
One of the men, 35, was sentenced to three years in prison, and must serve 15 months before being released on a 21-month suspended sentence.
The other man, 36, was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment, and having already served six months will be released on a 12-month suspended sentence.
Both men pleaded guilty to their charges in May last year.
AFP Superintendent Greg Davis said the federal police had worked closely with the border force to stop criminals smuggling drugs across the border.
'While it might seem like a relatively small amount of cocaine, it has an estimated street value of more than $65,900 and equated to hundreds of individual street deals of 0.2 grams,' Supt Davis said.
'The AFP, ABF and our partners are committed to stopping illicit drugs from entering Australia and inflicting harm in our communities.'
ABF Commander Tracie Griffin said that the jailing of the two men showed law enforcement agencies' determination to stop drug smuggling and to disrupt criminal syndicates.
'If you try to profit from the harm caused by illicit drugs, no matter how you attempt to hide them, the ABF and our partners will find you and bring you to justice,' Cmdr Griffin said.
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The Australian
3 hours ago
- The Australian
Victorian man Nicholas Teplin in court over alleged Sydney Airport scuffle, train station assaults
The man police allege is at the centre of the Sydney Airport firearm incident made a series of 'bizarre' comments to police after he was re-arrested for an alleged string of assaults, a court has been told. Victorian man Nicholas Teplin, 41, was bailed after a scuffle with police at the airport on Wednesday, where an Australian Federal Police member's firearm was unintentionally discharged. According to police, he was allegedly acting suspiciously in the T2 domestic terminal and, when approached by officers, became 'verbally and physically aggressive'. Mr Teplin was arrested and bailed on charges of obstructing a Commonwealth official and creating a disturbance at an airport. A man was arrested after a police firearm was discharged at Sydney Airport. Picture: 2GB But in a twist, Mr Teplin was re-arrested at the Central Railway Station in Sydney's CBD on Thursday afternoon. NSW Police allege he punched a 45-year-old man in the head, causing him to fall to the floor and suffer a nose bleed. It's alleged he then struck two men along the concourse and attempted to grab a bag from a fourth before officers intervened. Later, while in custody at Surry Hills police station, it's alleged he pushed a male constable in the chest. Mr Teplin was charged with hinder or resist a police officer, affray, assault of a police officer, assault occasioning bodily harm and common assault. Police closed off an area of the Sydney Domestic Airport. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short He appeared in the Bail division court on Friday afternoon via a video link from Surry Hills police station, wearing a black hoodie. Mr Teplin's lawyer, David Newham, told the court he'd spoken with the accused man and his partner. 'His partner has flown up from Melbourne and the plan was to pick him up and take him back but ultimately these matters have happened,' he said. 'His partner does tell me he's been on medication for the last 5 years for PTSD.' Mr Newham told the court his proposal was to have his client released to a hospital to have his mental health assessed, noting Mr Teplin's partner and mother 'have no issue with him being assessed in care'. 'It's in the community's best interest that this man gets assessed as opposed to going into the prison system,' he said. A firearm was discharged. Picture: 2GB No one was injured. Picture: 2GB Police prosecutor Sergeant Andrew Maldigri opposed the move, saying there was insufficient evidence to show Mr Teplin was mentally unwell or impaired. The court was told the accused man told police: 'I know I'm going to get bail like always' and also suggested he was a 'consultant for Legal Aid Queensland'. 'That to me suggests he's not mentally ill.. He's lucid enough to understand his situation,' Sergeant Maldigri argued. The presiding magistrate disagreed, pointing to Mr Teplin's 'unusual' alleged behaviour at both the airport and train station and 'bizarre' comments recorded in police fact sheets. 'Mr Teplin I'm sending you to hospital for assessment if you not found to be mentally ill, you'll be brought back before the court,' the magistrate said. An investigation into the incident is ongoing. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short According to AFP Acting Commander Scott Raven, an investigation has been launched into the cause of the firearm discharge. 'The AFP is investigating the circumstances around the discharge of the weapon however the alleged actions of this man and aggressiveness towards police created a volatile situation,' he said. 'The AFP does not tolerate antisocial or aggressive behaviour at airports and our aviation officers acted swiftly after receiving a request for assistance from an airline,' a/Cmdr Raven said.' Read related topics: Sydney Airport Liam Beatty Journalist Liam Beatty is a court reporter with NCA NewsWire. He has previously worked in newsrooms in Victoria and Western Australia. Liam Beatty
The Advertiser
12 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Family 'broken' by teen killer's sentence reduction
The family of a woman murdered during a home invasion have been left "broken" by the teen killer's sentence being reduced by almost 18 months on appeal. The boy, who cannot be named as he was aged 17 at the time of the offences, fatally stabbed Emma Lovell in the heart after he broke into her family's house north of Brisbane about 11.30pm on Boxing Day in 2022. Following a successful appeal on Friday, the teen will now serve a minimum of about eight years and four months in detention instead of about nine years and nine months before he is released under supervision. Victims of youth crime ambassador Lyndy Atkinson, who had worked with the Lovells since before the original sentencing, said the family now felt additional trauma. "They are a broken family ... (the teen defendant) will be able to get out and live his best life," she said. "Lee Lovell has lost a wife, his two girls have lost a mother. To me, it is still on the side of the offender and victims are continually being left behind." Queensland Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said the appeal was an unacceptable outcome and claimed it was caused by the previous Labor government's "weak laws". "I am now looking at my options to make an appeal to the High Court," she said. Queensland opposition leader Steven Miles said he did not want to "score cheap political points" but was shocked by the decision and thinking of the family. Mrs Lovell's husband Lee, who was wounded during the home invasion, was unable to attend court on Friday when the appeal decision was handed down. The home invasion led to "adult crime, adult time"' changes in Queensland law that allow for youth offenders to face a mandatory life sentence for murder with a minimum 20 years before parole. "The murder of Emma Lovell rocked the state and Queenslanders made it very clear enough is enough and change needed to occur," Ms Frecklington said. "The community and Emma's family will be devastated by this outcome and our thoughts are with them on another very difficult day they should never have had to endure." Justice Tom Sullivan in May 2024 sentenced the teen, then aged 19, to a maximum of 14 years with a requirement to serve 70 per cent of that time in detention, after he found the crime to be "particularly heinous". The Court of Appeal on Friday allowed the teen's appeal against the length of his sentence, with two of the three judges agreeing it was "manifestly excessive". In his dissenting opinion, Justice John Bond stated he was "respectfully" not able to find the sentence unjust or plainly unreasonable. Justice David Boddice found the 14-year sentence should stand but reduced the detention period to 60 per cent. He cited the teen's guilty plea, "genuine remorse and prospects of rehabilitation" as special circumstances justifying his release from detention after serving less than the statutory 70 per cent. The teen had appealed Justice Sullivan's "particularly heinous" finding in a bid to get his overall sentence reduced to 10 years. However, Justice Boddice found Justice Sullivan's decision to impose the maximum overall sentence available at the time was correct as the offences were "properly described as provoking a sense of outrage". The teen now has five years left to serve in detention after 500 days of pre-sentence custody in May 2024 were recognised as time served. The teen's male co-offender, also a juvenile, was acquitted of murder at a judge-only trial in October. He was found guilty of burglary and assaulting Mr Lovell, and in December he was sentenced to 18 months' detention - time he has served. The family of a woman murdered during a home invasion have been left "broken" by the teen killer's sentence being reduced by almost 18 months on appeal. The boy, who cannot be named as he was aged 17 at the time of the offences, fatally stabbed Emma Lovell in the heart after he broke into her family's house north of Brisbane about 11.30pm on Boxing Day in 2022. Following a successful appeal on Friday, the teen will now serve a minimum of about eight years and four months in detention instead of about nine years and nine months before he is released under supervision. Victims of youth crime ambassador Lyndy Atkinson, who had worked with the Lovells since before the original sentencing, said the family now felt additional trauma. "They are a broken family ... (the teen defendant) will be able to get out and live his best life," she said. "Lee Lovell has lost a wife, his two girls have lost a mother. To me, it is still on the side of the offender and victims are continually being left behind." Queensland Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said the appeal was an unacceptable outcome and claimed it was caused by the previous Labor government's "weak laws". "I am now looking at my options to make an appeal to the High Court," she said. Queensland opposition leader Steven Miles said he did not want to "score cheap political points" but was shocked by the decision and thinking of the family. Mrs Lovell's husband Lee, who was wounded during the home invasion, was unable to attend court on Friday when the appeal decision was handed down. The home invasion led to "adult crime, adult time"' changes in Queensland law that allow for youth offenders to face a mandatory life sentence for murder with a minimum 20 years before parole. "The murder of Emma Lovell rocked the state and Queenslanders made it very clear enough is enough and change needed to occur," Ms Frecklington said. "The community and Emma's family will be devastated by this outcome and our thoughts are with them on another very difficult day they should never have had to endure." Justice Tom Sullivan in May 2024 sentenced the teen, then aged 19, to a maximum of 14 years with a requirement to serve 70 per cent of that time in detention, after he found the crime to be "particularly heinous". The Court of Appeal on Friday allowed the teen's appeal against the length of his sentence, with two of the three judges agreeing it was "manifestly excessive". In his dissenting opinion, Justice John Bond stated he was "respectfully" not able to find the sentence unjust or plainly unreasonable. Justice David Boddice found the 14-year sentence should stand but reduced the detention period to 60 per cent. He cited the teen's guilty plea, "genuine remorse and prospects of rehabilitation" as special circumstances justifying his release from detention after serving less than the statutory 70 per cent. The teen had appealed Justice Sullivan's "particularly heinous" finding in a bid to get his overall sentence reduced to 10 years. However, Justice Boddice found Justice Sullivan's decision to impose the maximum overall sentence available at the time was correct as the offences were "properly described as provoking a sense of outrage". The teen now has five years left to serve in detention after 500 days of pre-sentence custody in May 2024 were recognised as time served. The teen's male co-offender, also a juvenile, was acquitted of murder at a judge-only trial in October. He was found guilty of burglary and assaulting Mr Lovell, and in December he was sentenced to 18 months' detention - time he has served. The family of a woman murdered during a home invasion have been left "broken" by the teen killer's sentence being reduced by almost 18 months on appeal. The boy, who cannot be named as he was aged 17 at the time of the offences, fatally stabbed Emma Lovell in the heart after he broke into her family's house north of Brisbane about 11.30pm on Boxing Day in 2022. Following a successful appeal on Friday, the teen will now serve a minimum of about eight years and four months in detention instead of about nine years and nine months before he is released under supervision. Victims of youth crime ambassador Lyndy Atkinson, who had worked with the Lovells since before the original sentencing, said the family now felt additional trauma. "They are a broken family ... (the teen defendant) will be able to get out and live his best life," she said. "Lee Lovell has lost a wife, his two girls have lost a mother. To me, it is still on the side of the offender and victims are continually being left behind." Queensland Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said the appeal was an unacceptable outcome and claimed it was caused by the previous Labor government's "weak laws". "I am now looking at my options to make an appeal to the High Court," she said. Queensland opposition leader Steven Miles said he did not want to "score cheap political points" but was shocked by the decision and thinking of the family. Mrs Lovell's husband Lee, who was wounded during the home invasion, was unable to attend court on Friday when the appeal decision was handed down. The home invasion led to "adult crime, adult time"' changes in Queensland law that allow for youth offenders to face a mandatory life sentence for murder with a minimum 20 years before parole. "The murder of Emma Lovell rocked the state and Queenslanders made it very clear enough is enough and change needed to occur," Ms Frecklington said. "The community and Emma's family will be devastated by this outcome and our thoughts are with them on another very difficult day they should never have had to endure." Justice Tom Sullivan in May 2024 sentenced the teen, then aged 19, to a maximum of 14 years with a requirement to serve 70 per cent of that time in detention, after he found the crime to be "particularly heinous". The Court of Appeal on Friday allowed the teen's appeal against the length of his sentence, with two of the three judges agreeing it was "manifestly excessive". In his dissenting opinion, Justice John Bond stated he was "respectfully" not able to find the sentence unjust or plainly unreasonable. Justice David Boddice found the 14-year sentence should stand but reduced the detention period to 60 per cent. He cited the teen's guilty plea, "genuine remorse and prospects of rehabilitation" as special circumstances justifying his release from detention after serving less than the statutory 70 per cent. The teen had appealed Justice Sullivan's "particularly heinous" finding in a bid to get his overall sentence reduced to 10 years. However, Justice Boddice found Justice Sullivan's decision to impose the maximum overall sentence available at the time was correct as the offences were "properly described as provoking a sense of outrage". The teen now has five years left to serve in detention after 500 days of pre-sentence custody in May 2024 were recognised as time served. The teen's male co-offender, also a juvenile, was acquitted of murder at a judge-only trial in October. He was found guilty of burglary and assaulting Mr Lovell, and in December he was sentenced to 18 months' detention - time he has served. The family of a woman murdered during a home invasion have been left "broken" by the teen killer's sentence being reduced by almost 18 months on appeal. The boy, who cannot be named as he was aged 17 at the time of the offences, fatally stabbed Emma Lovell in the heart after he broke into her family's house north of Brisbane about 11.30pm on Boxing Day in 2022. Following a successful appeal on Friday, the teen will now serve a minimum of about eight years and four months in detention instead of about nine years and nine months before he is released under supervision. Victims of youth crime ambassador Lyndy Atkinson, who had worked with the Lovells since before the original sentencing, said the family now felt additional trauma. "They are a broken family ... (the teen defendant) will be able to get out and live his best life," she said. "Lee Lovell has lost a wife, his two girls have lost a mother. To me, it is still on the side of the offender and victims are continually being left behind." Queensland Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said the appeal was an unacceptable outcome and claimed it was caused by the previous Labor government's "weak laws". "I am now looking at my options to make an appeal to the High Court," she said. Queensland opposition leader Steven Miles said he did not want to "score cheap political points" but was shocked by the decision and thinking of the family. Mrs Lovell's husband Lee, who was wounded during the home invasion, was unable to attend court on Friday when the appeal decision was handed down. The home invasion led to "adult crime, adult time"' changes in Queensland law that allow for youth offenders to face a mandatory life sentence for murder with a minimum 20 years before parole. "The murder of Emma Lovell rocked the state and Queenslanders made it very clear enough is enough and change needed to occur," Ms Frecklington said. "The community and Emma's family will be devastated by this outcome and our thoughts are with them on another very difficult day they should never have had to endure." Justice Tom Sullivan in May 2024 sentenced the teen, then aged 19, to a maximum of 14 years with a requirement to serve 70 per cent of that time in detention, after he found the crime to be "particularly heinous". The Court of Appeal on Friday allowed the teen's appeal against the length of his sentence, with two of the three judges agreeing it was "manifestly excessive". In his dissenting opinion, Justice John Bond stated he was "respectfully" not able to find the sentence unjust or plainly unreasonable. Justice David Boddice found the 14-year sentence should stand but reduced the detention period to 60 per cent. He cited the teen's guilty plea, "genuine remorse and prospects of rehabilitation" as special circumstances justifying his release from detention after serving less than the statutory 70 per cent. The teen had appealed Justice Sullivan's "particularly heinous" finding in a bid to get his overall sentence reduced to 10 years. However, Justice Boddice found Justice Sullivan's decision to impose the maximum overall sentence available at the time was correct as the offences were "properly described as provoking a sense of outrage". The teen now has five years left to serve in detention after 500 days of pre-sentence custody in May 2024 were recognised as time served. The teen's male co-offender, also a juvenile, was acquitted of murder at a judge-only trial in October. He was found guilty of burglary and assaulting Mr Lovell, and in December he was sentenced to 18 months' detention - time he has served.
News.com.au
15 hours ago
- News.com.au
Victorian man Nicholas Teplin in court over alleged Sydney Airport scuffle, train station assaults
The man police allege is at the centre of the Sydney Airport firearm incident made a series of 'bizarre' comments to police after he was re-arrested for an alleged string of assaults, a court has been told. Victorian man Nicholas Teplin, 41, was bailed after a scuffle with police at the airport on Wednesday, where an Australian Federal Police member's firearm was unintentionally discharged. According to police, he was allegedly acting suspiciously in the T2 domestic terminal and, when approached by officers, became 'verbally and physically aggressive'. Mr Teplin was arrested and bailed on charges of obstructing a Commonwealth official and creating a disturbance at an airport. But in a twist, Mr Teplin was re-arrested at the Central Railway Station in Sydney's CBD on Thursday afternoon. NSW Police allege he punched a 45-year-old man in the head, causing him to fall to the floor and suffer a nose bleed. It's alleged he then struck two men along the concourse and attempted to grab a bag from a fourth before officers intervened. Later, while in custody at Surry Hills police station, it's alleged he pushed a male constable in the chest. Mr Teplin was charged with hinder or resist a police officer, affray, assault of a police officer, assault occasioning bodily harm and common assault. He appeared in the Bail division court on Friday afternoon via a video link from Surry Hills police station, wearing a black hoodie. Mr Teplin's lawyer, David Newham, told the court he'd spoken with the accused man and his partner. 'His partner has flown up from Melbourne and the plan was to pick him up and take him back but ultimately these matters have happened,' he said. 'His partner does tell me he's been on medication for the last 5 years for PTSD.' Mr Newham told the court his proposal was to have his client released to a hospital to have his mental health assessed, noting Mr Teplin's partner and mother 'have no issue with him being assessed in care'. 'It's in the community's best interest that this man gets assessed as opposed to going into the prison system,' he said. Police prosecutor Sergeant Andrew Maldigri opposed the move, saying there was insufficient evidence to show Mr Teplin was mentally unwell or impaired. The court was told the accused man told police: 'I know I'm going to get bail like always' and also suggested he was a 'consultant for Legal Aid Queensland'. 'That to me suggests he's not mentally ill.. He's lucid enough to understand his situation,' Sergeant Maldigri argued. The presiding magistrate disagreed, pointing to Mr Teplin's 'unusual' alleged behaviour at both the airport and train station and 'bizarre' comments recorded in police fact sheets. 'Mr Teplin I'm sending you to hospital for assessment if you not found to be mentally ill, you'll be brought back before the court,' the magistrate said. According to AFP Acting Commander Scott Raven, an investigation has been launched into the cause of the firearm discharge. 'The AFP is investigating the circumstances around the discharge of the weapon however the alleged actions of this man and aggressiveness towards police created a volatile situation,' he said. 'The AFP does not tolerate antisocial or aggressive behaviour at airports and our aviation officers acted swiftly after receiving a request for assistance from an airline,' a/Cmdr Raven said.'
