WA: Colombian faces life for $400 million cocaine imporation

AAP General News (Australia)
12-04-2001
WA: Colombian faces life for $400 million cocaine imporation

A Columbian national who imported cocaine with a street value of up to $400 million
into Australia faces life imprisonment for a job he says he accepted from a stranger.

CARLOS SUAREZ-MEJIA has pleaded guilty in the West Australian Supreme Court to importing
937.9kg of cocaine -- the biggest amount ever seized by Australian authorities.

SUAREZ-MEJIA is one of three Colombians and two United States nationals who were charged
following the seizure in July at Dulverton Bay, 700km north of Perth.

US nationals JOEL PARRISH, 46, and WILLIAM ROGER REAVES, 58, have been also charged
with importing the cocaine.

PARRISH has pleaded not guilty, while REAVES has pleaded guilty and will appear in
court on January 15.

SUAREZ-MEJIA said he was sitting in a bar in Colombia when a stranger called GARCIA
offered offered him $A388,198 for travelling on a boat to help import cocaine to Australia.

SUAREZ-MEJIA says he accepted because of financial difficulties.

SUAREZ-MEJIA'S counsel ANDREE HORRIGAN asked Justice GRAEME SCOTT to show leniency
because her client had co-operated with police, played a minor part in the importation
and had not sought the job.

Justice SCOTT says he'll sentence SUAREZ-MEJIA on Friday.

AAP RTV lk/jtb

KEYWORD: COCAINE (PERTH)

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