A 91-year-old Sydney man who claims he was duped into importing almost 5kg of cocaine inside soap bars was groomed via email for months by an organised crime syndicate.
Police say retired surgeon Victor Twartz was "legitimately scammed" by a group who had befriended him via email and gained his trust before luring him overseas.
They're warning all Australians to be wary of offers that sound too good to be true, but could end up turning them into inadvertent drug mules.
Australian Federal Police organised crime commander David Stewart wouldn't go into detail about what Twartz had been promised by the group, but said he'd been in contact with them over many months.
Police were tipped off by Twartz's family but were unable to stop him leaving Australia, Commander Stewart told reporters in Canberra.
"There is certainly some evidence to suggest that this man was legitimately scammed by this group and exploited," he said.
"There were warnings issued to him about his activities both here and overseas ... but you can only provide people with certain warnings. At the end of the day they'll make their own choices."
Twartz was returning to Australia from New Delhi on July 8 when he was allegedly caught carrying 27 bars of soap, filled with about 4.5kg of cocaine.
He's been charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Twartz appeared briefly at Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, dressed in a three-piece tweed suit.
He did not enter a plea and his bail was continued.
Asked outside court whether he was taken advantage of, Twartz said: "Always, always".
The former oral surgeon has told the ABC he was duped by people he met in Delhi who he'd befriended online.
He says he was handed a bag just before he boarded his flight and told it contained gifts for a person in Australia.
Commander Stewart said in the past two years alone, 40 Australians have been arrested locally and more overseas over similar scams.
The internet is making it easier for organised crime syndicates to groom people, using social media to target vulnerable Australians, particularly the elderly and mentally ill, he said.
But he warned ignorance was not a defence.
Twartz's matter will return to court for mention in October.
