A man accused of conspiring to import 1.2 tonnes of cocaine into Australia says a cartel sent photos of his children and bodies wrapped in plastic in a series of "serious threats".
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The Canberra-region businessman claimed his actions to find a "missing" shipping container, which allegedly had an estimated $1.5 billion worth of drugs hidden inside, were done "under pressure".
He denies knowing what exactly was in the container, telling a court he initially thought it was Chinese money.
The jury trial of Tristan Egon Sebastian Waters, 39, and David Edward John Campbell, 55, continued in Sydney's Downing Centre District Court on Tuesday.
The trial started on May 22, 2023, with Waters and Campbell, along with co-accused Rohan Peter Arnold, accused of conspiring to import 1.28 tonnes of cocaine in a container shipped from China.
Giving evidence on Tuesday, Campbell said as the cartel's threats intensified "it seemed more and more that there was something other than Chinese asset or money in there".
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The three men were arrested in Belgrade, Serbia in February 2018 after a nine-and-a-half-month Australian Federal Police investigation spanning several countries.
On April 1, 2017, a container containing the drug hidden in steel posts, was seized by police, who communicated to Campbell that it had been lost.
It is alleged the container was shipped to Solutions 4 Steel, of which Campbell was the director and chief executive at the time.
Campbell has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to import a border-controlled drug, and conspiracy to possess a border-controlled drug.
Waters has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to import a border-controlled drug, and guilty to conspiracy to possess the drug.
Giving evidence, Campbell said he had a conversation with Arnold in July 2017 after the other man returned from a trip to China.
Campbell claimed a cartel in China believed he had stolen the shipping container and they wanted it back.
"[Arnold] had said that they'd made serious threats to me and my family to get that back because it had significant value," Campbell said.
The court previously heard that in October 2017, an undercover police officer using the alias "Henry" got in contact with Campbell, saying he had possession of the lost container in New Zealand.
Later that month, the Crown alleges, Campbell met with Henry and another undercover police officer named "Ivan" at a hotel in New Zealand to work out a "finder's fee".
Giving evidence on Tuesday, the 55-year-old stated he met with the man in an effort to return the container to the cartel "to stop the threat to my family and myself".
Campbell said that at the time be believed there was Chinese money hidden in the steel.
However, Campbell told the court as time went on the threats intensified and he "was petrified".
"It really intensified where there were photographs of my house, my children ... me coming out of work, pictures of bodies wrapped up in black plastic," he said.
"All I know is that they were sending pictures of bodies, of our families and a lot of threats.
"It was a horrible time in my life."
Campbell told the court he did not, at any time, conspire to import or obtain a prohibited drug, and that his actions to find the container were done "under pressure".
Campbell claimed he did not go to police because if he was arrested he could not protect his family and the cartel would have easier access to him in jail.
Waters' barrister, David Dalton SC, told the jury during his opening address that his client had also participated under duress.
The trial continues.
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