Canadian woman to stand trial on charge of importing cocaine to Australia

SYDNEY, Australia — A Canadian woman will stand trial for her involvement in allegedly importing cocaine into Australia on a cruise ship, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The newspaper said Melina Roberge cried Wednesday as a magistrate ordered her tried on a charge of bringing a commercial quantity of cocaine into the country.

Roberge, 23, was arrested in late August with two other Canadians — 64-year-old Andre Tamine and 28-year-old Isabelle Lagace —  after the MS Sea Princess docked in the Australian city.

The newspaper had previously reported that Lagace entered a guilty plea on the same charge last Friday and that Tamine is to appear in the New South Wales District Court next year.

Australian Border Force Cmdr. Tim Fitzgerald had said detection dogs helped police allegedly find 95 kilograms of cocaine, worth an estimated $30.5 million, in suitcases.

Rustlers Volleyball

Crusaders' Bell excited for next chapter with Lakeland College

18h ago

Nothing but Net

Vikings' standouts ready for national stage with Team Saskatchewan

21h ago

Missing person

Spiritwood RCMP searching for missing woman

Apr 24, 2024

Roberge’s lawyer argued the Quebec woman had no knowledge of the drugs and said there was no evidence that tied her to them, the Herald reported.

But Magistrate Robert Williams said it was “highly improbable” that anyone other than Roberge or Lagace would have stored drugs in the suitcases without the defendants’ knowledge. 

“The cabin space was tiny and the suitcases can be described as reasonably large suitcases,” the Herald reported Williams as saying.

Roberge’s case returns to court in February, and Lagace is expected to be sentenced the same month.

The Canadian Press