A hilarious photograph from Australian police shows a drug smuggler as he realises his stash, worth AU $12 million ($9.4m/£7.2m), is missing.
Christian Tachev buried the ill-gotten gains in the bush, before being arrested for smuggling drugs as part of a ‘sophisticated’ operation.
Claiming that he was a ‘personal trainer’, the drugs mule worked up quite a sweat after being caught in the sting operation and later sentenced to 11 years in prison.
In reality, Tachev had been moving drugs and cash for a biker gang that was being monitored by police in Western Australia.
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Police even captured the moment the then-26-year-old realised his stash was gone during their sting operation in the bush.
According to a judge, the horde was being worth an estimated AU $9,910,934 (£5.7m/$7.5m) to AU $12,373,342 (£7.2m/US $9.4m). However, this wasn’t his only stash.
Tachev has several secret hiding places and buried another 15kg of methamphetamine, which he later led police to.
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When they finally did arrest Tachev, he was carrying AU $500,000 (£289k/US $378k) worth of product back to his car.
The supposed personal trainer had another 10kg of drugs buried in Edgewater Park, near Perth, before a member of the Hells Angels allegedly took it.
A third lot of drugs were also found in spot Southwest of Perth, which another 5kg of meth recovered, which led Australian Federal Police to obtain a ‘surveillance device warrant’, which allowed them to set up the camera.
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His reaction is priceless as he panics, unaware that police had already confiscated his stash.
He was then charged with commercial drug trafficking and dealing with the proceeds of crime.
At his sentencing, Supreme Court Justice Joseph McGrath said: “The offences that you have committed are most serious.”
The judge added that the 26-year-old was motivated ‘solely by financial gain’, however the court did acknowledge that was only a courier in drugs ring.
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“However, there was a high level of sophistication to your conduct given the manner in which the drugs were buried and concealed in bushland areas around Perth, and the fact that these locations were only able to be located through GPS coordinates,” Judge McGrath told the court.
Continuing, he said: “Whilst your role may be described as a 'courier', I am satisfied that the role you undertook was pivotal to the trafficking of methylamphetamine in the community,”
“I further find that whilst you undertook the role of courier, you obviously had trust reposed in you from other persons involved in the trafficking and that you undertook a vital role in endeavouring to achieve success in respect of the criminal activity.”
Aussie Police have since confirmed that the drugs seizure took around 150,000 hits off the streets.
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AFP Senior Constable Josh Gilmour said: “People who move cash and drugs for criminal syndicates play a vital role in helping other members to profit from this damaging trade.
“The AFP and our partners are working tirelessly to stop drugs from reaching our community and arresting those involved in the distribution.”
Tachev will be able to apply for parole after serving seven and a half years.
Topics: True crime, Crime, Australia, World News