91-year-old Sydney man charged with importing cocaine

SYDNEY (AP) — A 91-year-old retired surgeon has been charged with importing cocaine hidden in soap into Australia, prompting police to warn travelers to beware they are not tricked into becoming drug mules.

Victor Twartz, of Sydney, was released on bail when he appeared in Sydney's Downing Center Local Court on Tuesday charged with importing a commercial quantity of cocaine on July 8. He will appear in court next on Oct. 6.

The retired oral surgeon faces a potential life prison sentence if he is convicted of importing 4.5 kilograms (10 pounds) of the drug into Sydney Airport on a flight from New Delhi.

A search of Twartz's luggage found 27 packages of soap which tested positive for cocaine.

Twartz told Australian Broadcasting Corp. he had met people in New Delhi whom he had befriended online. As he was about to board his plane to return to Sydney, he told ABC that he was handed a bag that he was told contained gifts for someone in Australia.

As Twartz left court on Tuesday, a reporter asked if he had been taken advantage of. Twartz replied: "Always, always."

Police have not said whether Twartz was an unwitting drug courier. But Australian Federal Police manager Wayne Buchhorn warned that unwittingly bringing drugs into Australia could result in charges.

"People can expect they will be charged if they knowingly bring drugs into Australia, or are reckless or wilfully blind to the fact that there could be narcotics concealed inside their luggage or items they are carrying," Buchhorn said in a statement.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-08-11

Isn't he a bit young for this activity.

Oral surgery was a hobby?

Definitely too old for this sh1t....

Unfortunately, any jail sentence given to this guy could be a life sentence.

Just one thing that crossed my mind: Basically you can't buy or receive anything from anyone and take it in your luggage unless you can do a check for drugs by yourself... otherwise you might end up like this man!

Perhaps at 91 he thought it worth a shot to set his kids or grand-kids up financially - not much to loose is there at 91.

What customs agent would search a 91-year-old man? Unless a drug dog sniffed it out first, it sounds like he was set up.

Well i remember the saying. There is no fool like an old fool. Very true in this case.

Come off it, any customs agent worth his salt is going to be suspicious of an Australian with soap.

What customs agent would search a 91-year-old man? Unless a drug dog sniffed it out first, it sounds like he was set up.

They didn't find it on him, they found it in his luggage.

Scanner these days are very sophisticated.

Sad. But who the hell will give 27 packs of soaps as gift? And if not known well how did he meet those dealers, by chance?

91 years old and he gets life

Sad. But who the hell will give 27 packs of soaps as gift? And if not known well how did he meet those dealers, by chance?

He claims 'befriended' via the internet and they paid for his airfare & hotel for him to visit them in India for a few days!

At 91, this guy can use the internet and travels solo all around the world? My dad can't figure out his toaster and his farthest round trip is from the tv to the toilet? I hope I am more like the old drug mule when I get that old. Imagine telling the great-grandkids about your days pushing dope from India to Oz.

At 91, this guy can use the internet and travels solo all around the world? My dad can't figure out his toaster and his farthest round trip is from the tv to the toilet? I hope I am more like the old drug mule when I get that old. Imagine telling the great-grandkids about your days pushing dope from India to Oz.

Well he won't want to bend down for a bar of soap once he's inside.

At 91, this guy can use the internet and travels solo all around the world? My dad can't figure out his toaster and his farthest round trip is from the tv to the toilet? I hope I am more like the old drug mule when I get that old. Imagine telling the great-grandkids about your days pushing dope from India to Oz.

Well he won't want to bend down for a bar of soap once he's inside.

I doubt if he can, he wont be there very long,nature has its own stature of limitations

2 easy points to check:

1. "whom he had befriended online" and

2. "gifts for someone"

No names .. game over ..

He wasn't happy with his australian pension , and now he has full room & board.

At 91, this guy can use the internet and travels solo all around the world? My dad can't figure out his toaster and his farthest round trip is from the tv to the toilet? I hope I am more like the old drug mule when I get that old. Imagine telling the great-grandkids about your days pushing dope from India to Oz.

I had to laugh about the round trip from TV to Toilet.

My mom is the same way, @ 67.

I write her and try to spark up a conversation via Line app,

and she's like I'm on my way to the kitchen to get some coffee...

Ok I'm back, but now I don't feel good and need to lay down.

The rest of my family wonders why I decided to relocate so far from home...da,

to much excitement in my homeland (NOT),

that I would hate to get worn out from all the fun,

especially at such a young age.

It would seem easy for me to picture someone convincing my mom to bring back a bag filled with gifts to give to a friend of the sender,

and it would be hard for me to think she would consider it to be anything illegal...

I can see how this guy got taken for a laugh,

though very sad indeed,

as it will take the better part of the time he has left to sort through this BS.

Lets try to hope he's creditable and has the resources to hire someone who can properly represent him in a good light,

that he most likely is a gentleman,

and not a mull...?

which I doubt would be the case.

What customs agent would search a 91-year-old man? Unless a drug dog sniffed it out first, it sounds like he was set up.

Oh I don't know. I was leaving Australia with my two young children when two customs thugs got me up against the wall for a random frisk and feel, copped all except the glove. My kids looked on in shock and were able to grasp what it is like in a fascist country (they'd spent most of their lives in Thailand). I was leaving, not arriving, so going after some old guy doesn't surprise me at all.

What customs agent would search a 91-year-old man? Unless a drug dog sniffed it out first, it sounds like he was set up.

Professional?

What customs agent would search a 91-year-old man? Unless a drug dog sniffed it out first, it sounds like he was set up.

Professional?

What customs agent would search a 91-year-old man? Unless a drug dog sniffed it out first, it sounds like he was set up.

Oh I don't know. I was leaving Australia with my two young children when two customs thugs got me up against the wall for a random frisk and feel, copped all except the glove. My kids looked on in shock and were able to grasp what it is like in a fascist country (they'd spent most of their lives in Thailand). I was leaving, not arriving, so going after some old guy doesn't surprise me at all.

They have to pick and choose, y'know. They can't search everybody. So they generally have reasons for picking someone, thus the cries against racial profiling. It's not only unprofessional to search all the old folks, it would be inefficient, samthefish.

I think Chicog got it right above by saying that they scanned his luggage, but I wasn't aware that they scanned luggage going into Australia, only when boarding the plane.

Sydney is a hard town/city to live in.

If you had no where to live and where 91 years old why not go for the option of gaol?

What are they gonna do to you really?

Yes once you comply with the in house rules you can rest in peace.

Regards

Should cease his pension immediately !

First of all, the old guy as a retired surgeon, must be quite well off so I don't think money came into it. He was just gullible.

Secondly, about 5 years ago I was on a Paris, Singapore, Melbourne flight. Got to Singapore to find that Qantas had cancelled the S/Melb. We eventually got on to a flight going to Brisbane, where we had to collect our luggage and then go through immigration and customs. Dogs everywhere!!

hope soon he will have to watch out, not to drop the soap in jail

Perhaps at 91 he thought it worth a shot to set his kids or grand-kids up financially - not much to loose is there at 91.

It wasn't 'loose', it was hidden in bars of soap.

I Don't really understand some of the comments here. What he did was wrong forget about his age, he should get life. As any other person would.

What customs agent would search a 91-year-old man? Unless a drug dog sniffed it out first, it sounds like he was set up.

Professional?

What customs agent would search a 91-year-old man? Unless a drug dog sniffed it out first, it sounds like he was set up.

They have to pick and choose, y'know. They can't search everybody. So they generally have reasons for picking someone, thus the cries against racial profiling. It's not only unprofessional to search all the old folks, it would be inefficient, samthefish.

I think Chicog got it right above by saying that they scanned his luggage, but I wasn't aware that they scanned luggage going into Australia, only when boarding the plane.

There is no random checks.There i always a reason for it.

I Don't really understand some of the comments here. What he did was wrong forget about his age, he should get life. As any other person would.

No it wasn't wrong . It's just some stupid laws that makes it illegal. Coke should be legal & availlable to whomever wants to use it.