Man, 34, who met Filipino woman on dating app is cleared of importing 3kg of cocaine into Australia

Man, 34, who thought he had found love with a Filipino woman on a dating website is cleared of importing 3kg of cocaine into Australia on her orders

  • A man who met a Filipino woman on a dating app not guilty of importing cocaine 
  • Steven Nobbs, 34, found with three kilograms of the drug in his luggage in 2016 
  • He had collected the suitcase from the Philippines at request of the woman 
  • Customs officials at Brisbane International Airport stopped him as he arrived 

A man accused of importing more than three kilograms of cocaine into Australia from the Philippines was found not guilty on Friday. 

Steven Nobbs told the court he was tricked into smuggling the drugs by a woman he met online, according to the ABC. 

Customs officers found 14 packages containing cocaine in the lining of a suitcase Mr Nobbs carried through Brisbane International Airport in 2016.

The 34-year-old was asked by someone using the name ‘Loral Williams’ to travel to the Philippines and bring back a bag, the Supreme Court in Brisbane heard. 

Steven Nobbs was asked by someone using the name ‘Loral Williams’ to travel to the Philippines and bring back a bag, the Supreme Court in Brisbane (pictured) heard last week 

Mr Nobbs had an online relationship with ‘Loral’ for two years after they met on dating website Zoosk.

Messages between the two presented to the court revealed that Loral had talked him into collecting the suitcase from a hotel in the Phillipines, saying it was a ‘gift’ for someone in Australia.

‘Loral, I’m worried that the gift is something illegal,’ A hesitant Mr Nobbs wrote.

His ticket was paid for by someone Loral claimed was her ‘sponser manager’ and he was told not the declare anything when arriving in Australia.

‘Baby you don’t need to declare anything, OK?’ Loral wrote.

‘You get to Australia, just take your luggage and go home, because the sponsor manager might be very angry and upset if they open any of it, baby.’

Mr Nobbs, however, did declare that he had foodstuffs and medication with him when he returned to Australia.

The court was played an interview between Australian Federal Police and Mr Nobbs after he was stopped in which he said it did not occur to him that the trip  may have been a scam (stock) 

The court was played an interview between Australian Federal Police and Mr Nobbs after he was stopped in which he said it did not occur to him that the trip may have been a scam (stock) 

His defence lawyer told the court Mr Nobbs had looked in the bags when he arrived at the hotel but had not seen anything as the packages were concealed.

The 34-year-old had regularly sent Loral money, roughly $20,000 total.

When he expressed hesitation to send the money, Loral would question their relationship.

The court was also played an interview between Australian Federal Police and Mr Nobbs after he was stopped by officers.

He tells them it did not occur to him that the trip to the Philippines may have been a scam. 

 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk