A Brazilian diver and one of Australia’s most wanted individuals may have been murdered by a criminal organization due to his failed attempt to smuggle up to 300 kg of cocaine.
Jhoni Fernandes Da Silva, 32, was allegedly entrusted with bringing hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into the Port of Newcastle in May, together with diver Bruno Borges, both of Portugal.
However, Borges drowned while attempting to recover the treasure from the ship’s hull.
This allegedly prompted Da Silva to depart the scene with his accomplice’s body floating in the Hunter River with 50kg of cocaine bricks.
Now, according to police sources who spoke to the Daily Telegraph, there is a considerable possibility that De Silva is also dead – slain as a result of the failed operation.
Police sources suspect he may have gotten away with at least a portion of the heroin shipment.
A police source told the newspaper, “If you’re a respectable criminal organisation and you’ve got arrests, you wouldn’t leave loose ends dangling.”
As brutal as they are, there’s a strong probability they’ve dealt with him before he could get arrested and spoke to us.
Since then, Da Silva has not been seen, prompting Interpol to warn foreign law enforcement authorities last week.
It is alleged that both Borges and Da Silva were employed by smugglers to carry cocaine into Australia from Argentina as part of a “well-trained professional crew.”
Borges was discovered in the sea surrounded by blocks of cocaine encased in yellow plastic. The Argentinean yacht Areti’s sea chest yielded an additional 54 kilograms of the substance. Gr Majuro.
As Borges attempted to collect cocaine from a cargo ship’s hull, problems with his diving equipment were apparently the primary cause of his death.
The majority of the original consignment of cocaine, which may have weighed up to 300 kilograms, is still unaccounted for, according to the investigators. James ‘Jimmy’ Blake Blee, 62, a superyacht tour operator, was arrested as a result of the investigation into the smuggling enterprise by authorities.
Two days after Borges and the cocaine were discovered, Blee was deported to New South Wales via flight from Cairns Airport.
He attempted to board a flight from the city in northern Queensland to Singapore, but was prevented from boarding at the airport.
The police will allege that he had a one-way ticket and was carrying $17,000 USD and $12,000 AUD in cash. He told reporters at the airport that he’regretted the situation I am in’ after being charged with importing significant amounts of a border-controlled narcotic and a substantial quantity of commercial drugs.
Blee stated at the time, “I’d like to apologize to my friends and family for the current situation I’ve put them in.”
“The judicial procedure will reveal the final outcome and what will occur, but I am quite sorry that it has reached this point.
“These are quite serious charges, and I’m eager to clear my name in court in New South Wales.”
The case is ongoing.