A Gold Coast woman has been sentenced to up to 15 years in a Tasmanian jail for her involvement in the state’s most extensive drug trafficking operation.
Jacqueline Pauline Fiala pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking in 26kg of methylamphetamine worth up to $26 million from Queensland.
Between November 2019 and May 2021, Fiala also coordinated the trafficking of cocaine worth up to $321,000 and ketamine worth up to $6,480.
The intricate scheme involved transporting the drugs inside car tyres, using a network of 13 couriers aboard the Spirit of Tasmania.
Justice Stephen Estcourt described the operation as sophisticated and aimed at generating significant profits.
‘Ice is a pernicious drug and those trafficking in it deserve harsh penalties,’ he said.
Fiala recruited vulnerable associates to act as couriers and claimed she was paid about $5,000 per week, but much of it went to suppliers.
Over the span of the operation, 13 shipments were made on the ferry, each containing around 2kg of ice, totalling 26kg.
Fiala was first arrested in May 2021, however, she was caught again in December 2021 with ice in her vehicle and caravan, estimated to be worth $238,000.
The judge assessed Fiala’s profit at $300,000 and ordered her to repay it to the state.
Fiala’s sentence was backdated to December 2021 and she must serve a non-parole period of seven and a half years.
