Two Australians who were arrested on Tuesday in Belgrade have been transferred to the police facility for foreigners in Padinska Skela until the official request for extradition to Australia - expected in the next six weeks. After the hearing the third man was ordered for up to 30 days detention due to the danger of escape.
Сва тројица су ухапшени по налогу Тужилаштва за организовани криминал, које је поступало по замолници аутралијских истражних органа из новембра прошле године у оквриру међуанродне истраге шверца дроге.
Судија за претходни поступак Вишег суда у Београду, после саслушања, одредио је у четвртак притвор за Д.К. до 30 дана због постојања околности које указују на опасност од бекства, рекла је за овдашње медије портпарол суда Бојана Станковић. Њему се на терет ставља кривично дело неовлашћена производња, држање и ношење оружја и експлозивних материја.
Адвокат Т.В. и Р.А. Јакша Пековић, рекао је за српске медије да у овом тренутку против његових клијената не постоји никакав кривични поступак. Он каже: „Задржани су под образложењем да није могуће утврдити њихов идентитет, иако су они са својим пасошима уредно прешли границу на аеродрому и пријављени су у хотелу. Разговарао сам јуче са њима и они су изненађени свиме што се десило”.
R.A. defence lawyer, Ben Aulich, on Thursday said for Border Mail: "We're in the process of organising access to see him in Serbia.
"That will be coordinated through (the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade)."
"If everything is co-ordinated smoothly and he is not facing charges in Serbia, then we expect him back in the country within four-to-six weeks."
Mr Aulich declined to comment further.
The trio is expected to face charges of conspiracy to import commercial quantities of a controlled drug in the NSW Supreme Court. That offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The men were arrested with a large amounts of various currencies, including euros, Australian, US and Singaporean dollars, Czech korunas, Vietnamese dong, Japanese yen, Chinese yuan, Thai bahts, and Serbian dinars.
They also allegedly had one pistol.
Police allege the men were connected to the discovery of 1280 kilograms of cocaine that was seized from a Chinese container boat docked in Sydney in April.
The drugs were allegedly found in 2576 packages hidden in steel tubes on the ship and were said to be worth $500 million.
Serbian authorities said they would "continue to cooperate with Australia's authorities in order to implement further action related to this permanent international investigation".
Police identified the men by their initials and year of birth as Australian citizens TV (1983), RA (1974), and DK (1969); along with DG (1977), a citizen of Lebanon.
The Lebanese citizen was detained and charged with having forged identity documents.
