Australian authorities have charged a Brazilian national, 48-year-old Adriano Gustavo Leonardi Thiem, with smuggling a commercial quantity of cocaine on the MSC Magnifica ship.
The vessel was moored at Athol Bay (NSW, Australia) while on a world cruise when law enforcement officials discovered ~US$3 million worth of the drug concealed within Magnifica.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) were called to the ship following an onboard inspection that yielded a positive result for cocaine. A subsequent search uncovered 28 individually wrapped packages hidden in the ceiling cavity of the suspect’s cabin. According to AFP investigators, the quantity of cocaine seized could have been distributed as ~10,000 individual street deals of one gram each.
In addition to the concealed narcotics, Australian Border Force officers located body packing material within the ceiling cavity and wardrobe, commonly used to evade detection during border crossings. Authorities also found evidence on the suspect’s phone allegedly linked to drug trafficking activities.
The Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force issued a joint statement confirming the man has been charged with: Importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug; and Possessing a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border-controlled drug.
Both charges carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment under Australian law.
MSC Cruises confirmed it is cooperating with Australian authorities and providing necessary assistance following the arrest, which took place on March 15th while the vessel was docked in Sydney Harbour.
MSC Magnifica, currently on a world cruise, had previously called at ports in Brazil and Argentina in late January before arriving in Australia.
For more MSC Magnifica incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.