By ALESHA CAPONE
TWO men connected to the discovery of $98.5 million in drugs at a Sunshine factory have sought leave to appeal their convictions in court.
Last month, the Supreme Court of Victoria Court of Appeal heard the cases of Hung Van Luong and another man.
In 2011 and 2012, the County Court heard the men had been charged with attempting to possess commercial quantities of cocaine, methamphetamines and MDMA.
The County Court sentenced Hung to 15 years’ imprisonment with a non-parole period of 11 years and the other man to three years’ on each charge, to be served concurrently.
He ended up with a recognisance release order after 514 days served at the time of sentencing.
Last month, the Supreme Court refused both men leave to appeal against their convictions.
The court heard in 2008, American customs agents found more than 57 kilograms of drugs in a container bound for Australia.
Seven boxes in the container contained foot spas, where the drugs were concealed.
The drugs, which had an estimated street value of $98.5 million, were seized in the US and the container arrived in Australia during June 2008.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) began investigating the case and the second man’s wife later gave evidence about Hung giving her money to rent a factory in Vella Drive, Sunshine, for the shipping container.
In July, a man from Canada came to help with the container and was taken to a Brooklyn motel by Hung.
The court heard lawfully-intercepted telephone conversations showed Hung was involved in the payment of container fees and he also contacted suspected Sydney drug dealers.
The container was delivered on 11 July, and the court heard the second man “only became aware of the drugs once the first foot spa was cut open”.
While being interviewed after his arrest, the man said through an interpreter he was afraid he would be “killed” if he left the Sunshine factory.
Instead, he stayed for a few hours and helped break open the foot spas before the AFP arrived with a search warrant and arrested him, his wife and later Hung.
