Vic: Alleged cocaine conspirator held after court appearance

AAP General News (Australia)
12-20-1999
Vic: Alleged cocaine conspirator held after court appearance

MELBOURNE, Dec 20 AAP - A man who allegedly passed messages to criminal lawyer Andrew
Fraser during a $5 million drug trafficking operation was today refused bail in a Melbourne
court.

Carl Heinze Urbanec, 45, of Greig Court, Elwood, is the fifth person, including Fraser,
to be charged in connection with cocaine importation.

Australian Federal Police officer Patrick Miles said that Urbanec was a life-long friend
of one of the alleged principal offenders, Werner Roberts.

He knew that Roberts and his wife Andrea Mohr left Australia on August 17 allegedly
to travel to the Benin republic in West Africa to bring back cocaine, Mr Miles said.

Urbanec had allegedly been to West Africa and met contacts with Mohr and discussed
the logistics of importing cocaine to Australia.

His role was to assist Roberts, provide advice about his movements at the airport and
discuss the logistics, Mr Miles said.

He had then passed messages from Mohr to Fraser about the importation.

Mr Miles said he believed Urbanec knew the nature of the trip when he spoke to Roberts
at Sydney and that he knew he was in the possession of cocaine.

Urbanec had travelled to 20 countries in the two years he had been in Australia.

Originally from Germany, he had lived an itinerent life in Australia and his visa had expired.

David O'Doherty, defending, said the crown case against Urbanec was weak and there
was no evidence that identified him as being a party to a plan or arrangement to import
cocaine.

He said he had sent $900 to Roberts while he was overseas to help him when his luggage
was stolen and not to help with drug importation.

Urbanec is charged with being knowingly concerned with the importation of a commercial
quantity of cocaine.

Magistrate Bruce Cottrell said that due to the seriousness of charge he had refused bail.

Urbanec was remanded in custody to reappear on January 18.

AAP cmc/mh/jnb/de

KEYWORD: URBANEC

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