on 20 Sep 2022
Jimmy Blee was arrested in Queensland in May in connection with a $20m cocaine haul
Australian authorities are eying the assets of superyacht tour operator Jimmy Blee, who was arrested in Queensland in May in relation to his alleged role in international drug smuggling.
The New South Wales Crime Commission is reportedly looking to seize the alleged ‘proceeds of crime’ — assets belonging to Blee, 62 — who has been charged with importing and supplying 108kg of cocaine. He was arrested in Cairns in May, as he was preparing to board a flight to Singapore, and remains before the courts.
Blee’s arrest came two days after Brazilian diver Bruno Borges was found dead near the Port of Newcastle, surrounded by floating blocks of cocaine. Investigators located a further 54kg of cocaine in the hull of a nearby Argentinian cargo ship — part of a haul worth $20m.
It’s proposed that Borges was in the process of retrieving the cocaine from the ship, when the dive went wrong.
Father of three Blee, who once led the Asia Pacific Superyachts’ Indonesia team ran luxury yachting, fishing and diving tours around Indonesia, North Queensland and the Whitsundays. In addition, he offered a consultancy service to yacht owners and operators acrossthe region.
Police allege that Blee travelled with Borges and another man from Indonesia to Darwin in the days prior to the death. The Crime Commission has launched a ‘proceeds of crime’ application in the NSW Supreme Court. This allows the commission to apply to seize cash, assets or property gained through illicit activity, without a conviction being made.