Norwegian Diver Jailed Nearly a Decade Over 80kg Cocaine Plot in Newcastle Harbour

A Norwegian man has been sentenced to just under 10 years in prison for his role in attempting to retrieve 80 kilograms of cocaine from a ship docked in the Port of Newcastle, according to a report from ABC News.

Newcastle District Court was told that 49-year-old Jon Birger Karlsen and his co-accused, 35-year-old Johan-Martinius Halvorsen, were working for an international crime syndicate that arranged for Karlsen to fly into Brisbane in January 2023. The pair were tasked with recovering the cocaine, which had been concealed in the hull of the Cyprus-registered bulk carrier MV Stalo while it was moored alongside one of the city’s grain terminals.

Authorities said the operation involved purchasing nearly $60,000 worth of specialist scuba diving equipment and two underwater scooters to assist with the retrieval. The drugs had been hidden in a sea chest attached to the underside of the vessel.

The court heard that the men had practised their approach in Newcastle Harbour but were spotted by the master of a passing ferry. By that time, Australian Federal Police (AFP) had already removed the cocaine after receiving a tip-off. When the men attempted the recovery, AFP officers were waiting at the scene, forcing the divers to flee.

Karlsen pleaded guilty to attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug. His legal team argued he did not fully understand the nature of the job, though the judge found this claim difficult to accept.

The court was told Karlsen later cooperated with police and had faced threats while in custody, with his family in Norway also targeted. Taking these factors into account, the judge reduced what would have been a 12-year sentence to nine years and 11 months, with a non-parole period of four years and 11 months. Karlsen will be eligible for release on 24 December 2027, factoring in time already served.

Halvorsen, sentenced in March, is serving 12 years with a non-parole period of five years and nine months and will be eligible for parole in October 2028.