Dad’s Army of retired crooks busted for $47 million cocaine shipment say they were ‘stooges’ on ‘a suicide mission’
- Three men sent on ‘suicide mission’ to unpack $47million cocaine shipment
- Kevin Theobald, Laurie Barkl and Ray Dumbrell faced Sydney court on Thursday
- Three men arrested after trying to retrieve 188g haul of cocaine from Mexico
Three ageing figures of the criminal underworld were on a ‘suicide mission’ when they were sent to unpack $47million worth of cocaine imported into Australia, a court has heard.
Kevin Victor Theobald, 63, Laurie Barkl, 61, and Ray Dumbrell, 74, were ordered by an international drug syndicate to retrieve the 188kg haul arriving in Sydney in 2019.
The trio were among six people who were arrested as they tried to unpack the drugs hidden in a shipment of 1,890 metal bars that had been sent from Mexico.
Three ageing figures of the criminal underworld were sent in on a suicide mission to unpack $47million worth of cocaine imported into Australia, a court has heard (pictured, Kevin Theobald)
Kevin Victor Theobald, 63, Laurie Barkl, 61, and Ray Dumbrell, 74, were ordered by an international drug syndicate to retrieve the 188kg haul arriving in Sydney in 2019
They pleaded guilty to attempting to possess a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border controlled drug, The Daily Telegraph reported.
They fronted Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday where barrister appearing for the Crown Lester Fernandez argued the trio were senior members of the drug syndicate.
Barrister Avni Djemal said it was the exact opposite and that unpacking was usually reserved for low-level criminals as the job came with the most risk.
The court heard the men were used as ‘stooges’ and sent in on a ‘suicide mission’ by taking advantage of their old age and dying influence in the underworld.
It marks a drastic fall from grace for the three men who had links to Sydney’s underworld spanning over the last 40 years.
Theobald was allegedly a big player in the gang wars that rocked the NSW capital during the 1980s, Dumbrell had links with drug smuggler Victor Spinks while Barkle had connections to rugby league players caught up in the drug scene.
Mr Djemal argued his client Theobald had little knowledge about the shipment.
‘There is no evidence that Mr Theobald had any decision-making as to how much (cocaine) was coming in, when it was coming in, what was going to happen to it, or what the arrangements were,’ he said.
The court was told the men would have known something was up if they were higher up in the drug operation.
Barrister David Dalton SC said the shipment was noticeably two kilograms lighter after police had removed the drugs and the ingots they were hidden in.
Australian Border Force officers had intercepted the shipment after it was sent from Mexico and removed the 188kg of cocaine
The court heard people higher up would have known about it and not risked going to retrieve the drugs.
‘If these people knew … you wouldn’t go anywhere near the place,’ he said.
Australian Border Force officers had intercepted the shipment after it was sent from Mexico and removed the 188kg of cocaine.
They allowed the shipment to continue to its destination before it arrived at a warehouse near Bankstown Airport.
Police had planted recording devices and listened in as Theobald, Barkl, Dumbrell and several other people attempted to unpack the shipment.
They were then arrested and the trio will be sentenced on November 23.
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