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BRISBANE - A New Zealand man and a university student have both been jailed for trying to move more than A$1.6 million ($1.82 million) worth of cocaine through the Gold Coast.
Glen Christopher Cook, 31, from New Zealand was given a head sentence of almost nine years jail
today in the Queensland Supreme Court.
He had pleaded guilty to one count each of attempted possession of a commercial quantity of cocaine and possession of a commercial quantity of gammabutyrolactone (GBL or liquid ecstasy).
Norwegian-born Eskil Honore Gundersen, 25, also pleaded guilty to attempted possession of a commercial quantity of cocaine, and received a head sentence of seven years jail.
However, both men will be eligible for parole in less than two years after already having served about 440 days in pre-sentence custody.
The court was told two men committed the offences in early 2006.
At the time, Cook was running a struggling courier service, and Gundersen, an honours psychology student at Bond University, was battling an addiction to cannabis.
Cook also was on bail from a string of other drug offences related to GBL.
The court was told Customs officers intercepted a package containing almost 3kg of cocaine with a street value of about A$1.6 million on March 10, 2006, which they substituted with an inert substance.
Cook organised to collect the package with a friend and took it back to his Gold Coast apartment, where he was subsequently arrested.
Australian Federal Police agents also uncovered almost 4kg of GBL after searching a storage shed where the cocaine was being held.
Cook had informed police that Gundersen also was involved, and he was arrested later that month.
Each of the men alleged the other was more heavily involved in the operation and was responsible for providing the instructions for moving the drugs.
In sentencing, Justice Debbie Mullins determined both had played roles that were "more than a courier but less than an importer".
Justice Mullins berated the pair for their actions, telling Gundersen that he was "a young man with everything going for you" and that he had thrown away his career.
She said both men had prospects for rehabilitation and would be immediately deported upon release from prison.
- AAP