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The three sailors who were quarantined and fined for illegally entering into the country from New Caledonia have been arrested in Brisbane over the weekend for alleged drug trafficking.
They were arrested after arriving in Brisbane Airport from Honiara– after spending time in both quarantine and immigration detention centres in Honiara.
Australia’s 9 News reports that the three were arrested– ending an international manhunt which started in April.
It was alleged that the three offloaded the drug onto another boat bound for Australia— before travelling onto their yacht to New Caledonia and to the Solomon Islands.
Tip-off from New Caledonia police had led to their arrest in Brisbane. It was not clear whether Solomon Islands authorities were aware of the trios alleged drug dealing whilst they were in Honiara.
Their yacht Mo Chuisle has now been seized and owned by the state. Mo Chuisle was used by three expatriates to illegally enter the country from New Caledonia in June. The trio: Mathew Adam Carter, Charles James Ewan Glenny and Braeton Hunter Mitchell were found guilty by Chief Magistrate Ema Garo – who in her ruling stated that the circumstances of the offending by the defendants in this case should be dealt with by a way of a fine. All three were found guilty with one count of prohibition of entry of non-citizens contrary to the Emergency Powers (Covid-19) (Prohibition of Non-Citizens).
On the 19 of June this year, the defendants entered Solomon Islands from New Caledonia in a yacht namely Mo’Chilse illegally, during the emergency period without exemption by the Prime Minister’s Office or the Covid-19 Oversight committee.
They were ordered to pay a fine of $6,000 each with the owner/skipper of the yacht paid an extra $100, as he was found guilty under the Customs Act.
News@SBMOnline2020
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