Cocaine trafficker used NZ as staging point

A man who brought $300,000 worth of cocaine from Chile into New Zealand, then tried to take it to Australia was today jailed for seven years.

Australian Dario Alexander Seguel, 41, pleaded guilty in the High Court at Auckland to importing the class A drug cocaine, and attempting to export it to Australia.

He was told he would be deported to Australia at the end of his jail term.

The court was told Sydney resident Seguel went to Chile in January, where he bought cocaine liquid.

Cocaine in Chile was available at $5 a gram, as opposed to $200 a gram in Australia.

The fluid was packed into a gift pack of perfume and Seguel returned to Auckland in February.

A similar gift pack was bought at Auckland International Airport and the labels swapped to give the impression the pack containing the drugs had been bought in Auckland.

Seguel was arrested when he tried to board an aircraft for Sydney.

Judge David Baragwanath said a starting point was eight years in jail, but using New Zealand as a staging point for drugs was a serious aggravating factor.

He increased the starting point to 9-1/2 years, reduced to seven years because of Seguel's guilty plea.

The judge said Seguel had impressed with his attitude and the rehabilitation programme he had started in prison.

He was also a man of clear potential with impressive references and that was reflected in the sentence.

He was also seen to be a low risk of reoffending.

Seguel's girlfriend, Maria Christia, and his brother Sergio Seguel, have denied similar charges and are yet to stand trial.

- NZPA