One of two men accused of diving to retrieve cocaine from a ship berthed in Dunedin, New Zealand, has denied conspiring to import the class A drug.
Carlos Davide Ferreira-Sampaio, 45, of Portugal, and Matthew Luke Hodder, 31, of Melbourne, Australia, each face a maximum sentence of 14 years’ imprisonment.
The pair, who are jointly charged with conspiring to import a class A drug, appeared via audiovisual link before Judge Emma Smith in the Dunedin District Court on Friday.
They were arrested after allegedly smuggling cocaine into New Zealand, via a vessel berthed at Port Otago.
Ferreria-Sampaio, via his lawyer, entered a plea of not guilty, and elected a trial by jury.
Hodder, who did not have a lawyer in court, indicated he was not in a position to enter a plea.
Read Related Also: Multiple critically wounded in South Deering shooting after verbal altercation, Chicago police say
The arrests followed an investigation into an international crime syndicate allegedly involved in smuggling drugs into New Zealand.
It is understood the cocaine had been in a compartment welded onto the hull of a vessel.
Hodder was remanded in custody to reappear on November 17, while Ferreria-Sampaio was remanded in custody to reappear on January 20.
