Man on trial over alleged cocaine smuggling linked to diver's death
James Lake-Kusviandy Blee is on trial in New South Wales for allegedly aiding his father in importing a commercial quantity of cocaine into Newcastle in 2022, linked to a fatal dive where a Brazilian diver died. The prosecution claims Blee helped retrieve drugs from a ship's hull, while his defence argues he only ran errands without knowledge of any criminal plan. The trial is expected to last up to 10 days, with Blee pleading not guilty and currently held in custody.
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Queensland man James Lake-Kusviandy Blee on trial over deadly Newcastle cocaine haulGBy Giselle WakatamaABC NewcastleTopic:Cocaine32m ago32 minutes agoThu 30 Apr 2026 at 4:43amJames Blee describes himself on LinkedIn as a videographer, actor and film production associate. (Facebook)In short:James Lake-Kusviandy Blee has pleaded not guilty to aiding and abetting his father to import drugs.Mr Blee said he helped his father run errands, but did not commit any crimes, a claim rejected by the Crown.What's next:The trial before a jury is expected run up to 10 days.abc.net.au/news/man-on-trial-over-deadly-newcastle-cocaine-haul/106619534Link copiedShareShare articleA prosecutor has alleged a Queensland man helped his father carry out a deadly drug importation operation into Newcastle four years…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at ABC News (Australia).