A pilot has been sentenced to 11 years in prison after smuggling more than 50kg of methamphetamine into Australia from Papua New Guinea.
Bernard Hamilton-Alexander, 54, was this week handed the sentence in the Bundaberg District Court after pleading guilty to importing the illicit drug in May.
Police accused him of piloting a ‘black flight’ – a name given to flights that are done in secret – after he took off from Wilton, a rural area south of Sydney in a twin-engine Beechcraft light plane.
He was arrested on March 21, 2023, on the return leg of the flight in the rural Queensland town of Monto, located about 500km northwest of Brisbane, which was the refueling point.
Hamilton-Alexander had flown the light aircraft between Monto and Papua New Guinea where he collected five duffel bags from a remote airstrip.
Inside were 87 plastic bags containing a white crystalline substance. The pilot hid the duffle bags in the plane before switching off the plane’s transponder to avoid radar detection on the way home.
The plane was pounced upon by police when it stopped for a refuel in Monto, with crown prosecutor Kim Bryson telling the court police found the bags held over 70kg of material, which equated to around 56kg of pure methamphetamine.
Ms Bryson said the drugs had an estimated street value of between $11million and $17million when sold in 0.1g quantities.
Australian Federal Police arrested five men in connection to the ‘black flight’ from Papua New Guinea (pictured, police at the men’s alleged refuelling station in Monto, Queensland)
The pilot collected five duffle bags from a remote airstrip in PNG before turning off the plane’s transponder to avoid detection
She described him as ‘instrumental’ to the smuggling operation, highlighting that he not only piloted the plane but also recruited a co-pilot to assist with the flights.
Police alleged John Otto Horvath, 52, was the co-pilot and he was arrested with Hamilton-Alexander.
The pilots allegedly worked alongside three other men, Brian Pracey, Peter Payne, and Nathan Bailey, who police said acted as the ground crew for the drug operation.
Hamilton-Alexander’s defence lawyer, Callum Cassidy, acknowledged his client’s involvement but claimed he had no leadership role, arguing he was ‘little more than a paid hand.’
However, Justice Graeme Crow rejected that claim, telling the court he ‘was an important paid hand.’
The court heard that Hamilton-Alexander was promised $500,000 for his role in the drug smuggling operation.
The 54-year-old not only coordinated multiple flights but also arranged for the light aircraft to be transported from Orange, New South Wales.
He was further responsible for organising additional fuel deliveries to the Monto airport to support the mission.
Bernard Hamilton Alexander was jailed for 11 years, with a non-parole period of 8 years
The street value of the drugs is estimated to be between $11million and $17million dollars
Key evidence that led to the group’s arrest included intercepted phone calls and audio recordings captured by a hidden listening device placed inside the aircraft.
The Australian Federal Police used the intelligence to build their case against the group.
During sentencing, Justice Crow described Hamilton-Alexander’s actions as ‘serious and calculated,’ and also noted they were ‘really unexplainable.’
The court heard that Hamilton-Alexander had no prior criminal record and had never used illicit substances.
‘It’s extraordinary that a man like you, with your limited criminal history, would get involved in this venture. Just extraordinary,’ Justice Crow remarked.
Alexander was sentenced to eleven years in prison, with a non-parole period of eight years.
