A pair of Norwegian divers have been sentenced to prison by an Australian court for attempting to smuggle 80 kilos/176 pounds of cocaine into the Port of Newcastle in January 2023.
The drugs had been hidden inside the hull of the Cyprus-registered bulk carrier MV Stalo, which was moored alongside one of the city’s grain terminals.
The men, Jon Birger Karlsen and his co-accused, Johan-Martinius Halvorsen, were recruited by an international syndicate and flown into Brisbane before making their way to Newcastle Harbour to retrieve the drugs. The operation involved nearly US$60,000/~€51,156 worth of specialized scuba equipment and scooters.
Karlsen was sentenced to a 12-year term, and after time served, will first be eligible for release on December 24, 2027. Halvorsen, on the other hand, was sentenced to 12 years with a no-parole period of five years. He will not be eligible for parole until October 2028.
When sentencing the pair, Judge Roy Ellis said:
“On that day, unfortunately for them, they were spotted by the captain of a passing ferry…In any event, at that point in time police had already removed the cocaine.”
He added:
“Each was given a free ticket to fly out to Australia. Both participated in the purchase of two sub scooters and both were involved in purchasing scuba gear. His [Karlsen’s] expertise was required to remove the drugs. It had a significant weight, in total it is 80 kilos, and you can well understand why the need for scooters in order to get there quickly underwater.”
The judge skeptically addressed one of the defense points, stating:
“They knew it was going to entail them in underwater work. It entailed them moving some item from the sea chest attached to the undercarriage of the boat. I accept they didn’t know the quantity of the drug, but really — could there be any other inference other than retrieving something that was brought illegally.”
