Adelaide man in $59m ice plan dubbed 'Australia's Walter White'
An Adelaide businessman, who smuggled $59m worth of the drug ice to help his family, has been dubbed Australia’s Walter White.
Anthony John Scott was told he had one year to live due to a fatal heart condition and immediately thought about how he could ensure his family’s future, according to the Adelaide Advertiser.
His story has been likened to the US hit show Breaking Bad after he made the decision to smuggle close to $59.5m worth of methamphetamine into Australia.
Breaking Bad’s main character Walter White is a chemistry teacher who sold meth to secure a future for his family, after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.
A District Court judge was reportedly asked to show mercy and order a non-parole period to be served in home detention due to Scott's poor health.
The 44-year-old faces life in prison and a maximum $1.35m fine after he pleaded guilty to one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border control drug, importing a marketable quantity of a border-controlled drug and trafficking a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug.
The father of five who lives in the Adelaide suburb of Flinders Park, smuggled close to 60kg of the drug and pseudoephedrine from Indonesia between November 2015 and January 2016.
He was also found with 9kg of cannabis – reportedly worth more than $56,200.
Scott’s defence barrister claimed he was in distress after his doctor told him he had one year to live.
It was claimed Scott agreed as he thought he could make enough money to leave his family in a more secure position.
Scott was arrested on January 7, during a raid involving AFP officers, SA Police detectives and Australian Border Force officers.
The prosecution described the haul as “extreme” and something that would have caused misery to hundreds of families, The Advertiser reported.
Scott was remanded in custody and will face sentencing in November.
News break – October 1
