One of two Canberra region businessmen accused of conspiring to import an estimated $1.5 billion worth of cocaine was "high up" in an international drug syndicate, a prosecutor has told a jury.
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The jury trial of Tristan Egon Sebastian Waters, 39, and David Edward John Campbell, 55, continued in Sydney's Downing Centre District Court on Monday.
The trial started on May 22 with Waters and Campbell, along with co-accused Rohan Peter Arnold, accused of conspiring to import 1.28 tonnes of cocaine in a container shipped from China.
The three men were arrested in Belgrade, Serbia in February 2018 after a nine-and-a-half-month Australian Federal Police investigation spanning several countries.
On April 1, 2017, a container containing the drug hidden in steel posts, was seized by police, who communicated to Campbell that it had been lost.
The Crown alleges that in October, an undercover police officer using the alias "Henry" got in contact with Campbell, saying he had possession of the lost container in New Zealand.
It is alleged that later that month Campbell met with Henry at a hotel in New Zealand to work out a "finder's fee".
Campbell has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to import a border-controlled drug, and conspiracy to possess a border-controlled drug.
Waters has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to import a border-controlled drug, and guilty to conspiracy to possess the drug.
After 22 days of evidence, Crown prosecutor Sean Flood started his closing address to the jury on Monday.
He said Waters and Campbell had very different roles in attempting to import and then possess the cocaine.
Mr Flood argued Campbell was the contact person for the delivery and possession of the container, in charge of unpacking the steel posts, and responsible for chasing the location of the container once it was reported lost.
He said Campbell's actions were "consistent ... with the fact that he expects to be rewarded".
Waters, on the other hand, Mr Flood told the jury, was "high up" in the international syndicate involved with the drugs.
The prosecutor said a series of encrypted messages, with an unknown person using the moniker "John Wick", showed that Waters was in charge of syndicate members in both Australia and Serbia.
Mr Flood read to the jury a message he claimed Waters had sent using the alias "Underhand".
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"I've got 12 boys here, some of who are cops too, so I've got it all covered," the message said.
He argued there was evidence to show "Mr Waters' interest in this criminal enterprise is not new".
Mr Flood said messages tendered in evidence revealed Waters "admits he was one of three people at the top of the conspiracy, working together with people below ... and responsible for the importation and possession of the border-controlled drug."
Last week, Campbell took the stand claiming a cartel sent photos of his children and bodies wrapped in plastic in a series of "serious threats".
Campbell told the court his actions to find the container were done "under pressure" and he did not know what exactly was concealed inside.
Waters' barrister, David Dalton SC, had previously told the jury his client had participated under duress
The trial continues.
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