Australian Olympic kayaker Nathan Baggaley and brother face life sentence in drug trial

Nathan Baggaley during the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games. Photo / Getty

Former Australian Olympic kayaker Nathan Baggaley and his brother have been found guilty of attempting to smuggle A$200 million of cocaine into Australia.

The double Olympic silver medallist and his brother Dru, who both pleaded not guilty during the trial at Brisbane's Supreme Court, will be sentenced later this month.

Dru and another man, Anthony Draper, were arrested in 2018 after a dramatic police chase at sea involving a surveillance plane, navy ship and a RAAF plane following the pair's 11-hour journey to meet up with a foreign ship that was carrying the drugs.

Prosecutors say Nathan purchased the boat used and fitted it with a satellite phone and a navigation system. However, the Athens Olympian said he was told to buy the boat for a whale watching business.

Dru claimed he thought he was collecting tobacco and said he was kidnapped by Draper to go on the operation. He said Draper threatened his family if he didn't help him.

However, Draper claimed the opposite, that he was recruited by Dru to drive the boat and said he was told they were picking up what he assumed to be marijuana.

Draper later pleaded guilty to attempting to import cocaine and had his 13-year jail sentence reduced to a non-parole period of four years and three months for his testimony against the Baggaleys.

It isn't the first time the two brothers have been charged with drug offences. They were previously convicted of involvement in a drug manufacturing group that made hallucinogenics.

They could both face life in prison.