A drug smuggler was lashed for the “cock and bull” story he was in Australia for a holiday when he was actually helping to bring more than 120kg of pure meth into the country from Mexico.
Alexandre Francoise Gerard Forcade was jailed for 18½ years in the County Court of Victoria after pleading guilty to one count of attempting to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs.
The 27-year-old dual national was nabbed in February 2020 after border force officials spotted the suspicious shipment of silver concentrate from Mexico. The drugs were hidden inside 19 tonnes of the substance.
The 122.8kg of drugs found is worth up to $69m.
In his sentencing, Judge Michael Tinney lashed Forcade – a student – for the “absurd” claim that he was in the country for a holiday to celebrate his birthday when he knew no one.
The dual Canadian-French national gave federal police a “cock and bull” story about what he was doing in Australia and claimed he was approached in a bar in Kuala Lumpur to be involved in a “legitimate transaction”, the judge said.
“It was not much of a holiday you were having because of course it was not,” Judge Tinney said.
Forcade also said he deleted texts that supposedly showed he was duped into importing the drugs, a claim the judge labelled as “complete rubbish”.
“You are a complete liar and I reject virtually everything you have said in your evidence … it was complete nonsense,” Judge Tinney said.
Forcade admitted he had issues with abusing cocaine, ketamine and alcohol, but the judge doubted Forcade’s claims that he only used ice once.
“You give a pretty imitation of someone almost licking their lips looking at the crystals in the bag in front of you,” the judge said.
Forcade has no criminal history, pleaded guilty at an early stage, had some remorse and regret for what he had put his family through and was a good prospect of rehabilitation.
He must serve at least 13½ years behind bars before he is eligible for parole. He will be deported from the country once released.
