Thread:Cilindar/@comment-33954504-20180325034648/@comment-34692631-20180325040420

Bre! =Canberra businessman extradited from Serbia over alleged cocaine haul=

By Michael Inman
Updated20 March 2018 — 2:31pmfirst published at 12:49pm* Normal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text size A businessman from Murrumbateman has been extradited from Serbia two months after his arrest in Belgrade in relation to an alleged international drug ring.
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The Australian Attorney-General's Department confirmed Rohan Arnold, 44, had been surrendered to Australian authorities.

Rohan Arnold has been extradited from Serbia.

Photo: radfordcollegians.com.au

He is expected to land in Sydney in the coming days to face charges over an alleged $500 million cocaine haul.

The exact charges he will face are not yet known.

David Campbell was arrested in Serbia on drugs charges.

Photo: Linked In

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Two other Australians, Tristan Waters and David Campbell, remain behind bars in Serbia.

Defence lawyer, Ben Aulich, said Mr Arnold's legal team had worked hard to expedite the prominent steel businessman's extradition home to Australia.

"It has been a frustrating process but I am pleased the hard work has paid off and he will be arriving shortly in Australia to meet the charges against him," Mr Aulich said.

"Mr Arnold is content to meet the charges either with or without his co-accused."

The trio were arrested in a Belgrade hotel on January 18 for their alleged roles in the importation of 1280 kilograms of cocaine.

Serbian authorities nabbed the men as they were allegedly handing over a bag containing a gun and $1 million in cash.

The drugs, which police say had a street value of $500 million, were found hidden inside pre-fabricated steel on a Chinese container boat in Sydney last April.

A Serbian court last month found Mr Waters, 34, and Mr Arnold, 44, "met legal conditions" for their extradition back to Australia.

However, Mr Waters has appealed that decision in a bid not to return to Australian shores.

The timeframe for the appeal process is uncertain.

<p data-reactid="456">The Serbian court, however, did not order Mr Campbell's extradition as he is expected to face firearms charges.

<p data-reactid="458">Serbian authorities have previously said Mr Campbell, 48, had been held on suspicion of possessing the unauthorised pistol seized during the hotel raid.

<p data-reactid="460" data-gtm-vis-first-on-screen-6236702_632="19555" data-gtm-vis-total-visible-time-6236702_632="600">Mr Arnold did not oppose his own extradition and the Australian Attorney-General's Department confirmed he had been surrendered to Australian authorities on Monday.

<p data-reactid="462">"Australia thanks Serbia for its assistance in this matter," the department said in a statement.

<p data-reactid="464">"As the matter is now the subject of domestic criminal proceedings, it is not appropriate for the Attorney-General's Department to comment further."

<p data-reactid="468">The department also confirmed Mr Waters and Mr Campbell remained in Serbia.

<p data-reactid="470">"Tristan Waters and David Campbell were arrested in Serbia in January 2018 [and] they are wanted to face prosecution for drug offences in Australia," the Attorney-General's Department said.

<p data-reactid="472" data-gtm-vis-first-on-screen-6236702_632="19835" data-gtm-vis-total-visible-time-6236702_632="400">"As the matter is currently before Serbian authorities, it would not be appropriate to comment further."

<p data-reactid="474">The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it continued to provide consular assistance to several Australians arrested in Serbia.

<p data-reactid="476">"Due to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further details," a spokeswoman said.

<p data-reactid="480">The trio have strong business links to the Canberra-region.

<p data-reactid="482">Mr Arnold is a prominent steel businessman whose companies, along with his business partner, Mr Campbell, supplied steel to a number of government projects in the ACT and NSW.

<p data-reactid="485" data-gtm-vis-first-on-screen-6236702_632="20181" data-gtm-vis-total-visible-time-6236702_632="500">The pair previously ran a failed steel manufacturing business in Goulburn that collapsed owing $11.5 million.

<p data-reactid="488">Mr Arnold also has interests in a number of regional projects, including the South Eastern Livestock Exchange in Yass and the Mortlake Saleyards.

<p data-reactid="491">Mr Waters - a former Canberra nightclub boss and builder who had relocated to Dubai in recent years, was indirectly linked to theAustralian Taxation Office fraud sting.
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