Arabic version: سجن فرنسيين بسبب شحنة كوكايين على متن يخت في تاونسفيل

According to ABC News, Rachid Kachour and Matthieu Rees have each been sentenced to 13 years in prison after pleading guilty in the Supreme Court in Brisbane to possessing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug. The French couple collected almost 500 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside a yacht that travelled from the South Pacific to Townsville.

The court heard that the men, aged 54 and 44 at the time of the offence, had been living in the Australian Capital Territory before travelling to Townsville in May 2023. They used a drill to access the hull of the yacht while it was docked at a marina, removed packages of cocaine over several days and transported them in a hired van to a safe house. They later patched the damage to the vessel, the court heard.

Commonwealth prosecutor Jacob Robson said the pair recovered at least 484 kilograms of cocaine, which had a purity of 80.6 per cent and an estimated street value of $121 million. He said the men initially did not know the type or quantity of drug they had been asked to move, but knowingly agreed to recover a border-controlled drug. The prosecution described their role as subordinate and said they received a $300,000 payment.

The yacht had raised Australian Border Force suspicions after arriving in Queensland from Vanuatu in April, and its movement was restricted. However, the court heard it was not kept under surveillance while docked. Justice Peter Callaghan described that as “a bit disturbing”, saying hundreds of kilograms of cocaine had been allowed into the community before authorities checked the vessel again in July.

Both men had spent just over three years in custody since their arrest and had no criminal history. Their sentences include non-parole periods of five and a half years. Kachour, a permanent resident, is likely to have his visa cancelled and face deportation to France after leaving custody, the court heard.