Two Quebec women arrested on a cruise ship in Australia for cocaine trafficking are due to appear in criminal court Wednesday.
Mélina Roberge, 23, and Isabelle Lagacé, 28, are expected in court in Sydney to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty, said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice of the State of New South Wales.
André Tamine, 64, who was arrested with them aboard the MS Sea Princess, is also schedule to appear.
The women were arrested on Aug. 29 after Australian police discovered, with the aid of drug-sniffing dogs, 31 kilograms of cocaine in their suitcases. The estimated value of the haul is $30.5 million Canadian.
Imprisoned since their arrest, they have not requested bail. The three cases could be handled separately. While the two women travelled together and shared a cabin, publishing numerous photos of themselves in exotic locales, their link to the third accused, André Tamine, is still not known.
It was the largest-ever drug seizure conducted aboard a cruise ship or airline in Australia, said Tim Fitzgerald, head of Australian border services. He said 35 kilos of cocaine were found in the cabin shared by the women, and 60 kilos were found in Tamine’s room.
If found guilty, they could be sentenced to life in prison.
