BERLIN: A German former professional skateboarder was sentenced to 30 years in jail on Wednesday for his part in one of Australia’s biggest drug busts. The former skateboarder, 49, will have to serve 16 years before he is eligible for parole, Brisbane Supreme Court Justice Roslyn Atkinson said while delivering judgment.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty last month of importing about 400 kilograms of cocaine into Australia in October 2010. Two Australians were also sentenced to 30 years for the crime.
The court earlier heard that the German national had sailed from Central America in a catamaran laden with the drugs, which were transferred to a yacht before reaching Australia.
Police searched the yacht when it docked near Brisbane and found the cocaine. In the same development, Costa Rican national Gilberto Serna, a crewman on the German man’s catamaran, was earlier sentenced to 25 years after pleading guilty two years ago, and cooperating with authorities.
