Social media shows luxurious journey 3 Canadians took before arrest for alleged cocaine smuggling
By Madalyn Mendoza, San Antonio Express-News Updated 3:18 pm, Wednesday, August 31, 2016
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"Gone to a place very peaceful • leave a message after the tone," @melinar___. Photo: Instagram.com
Photo: Instagram.com
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"Gone to a place very peaceful • leave a message after the tone," @melinar___.
Three Canadian travelers spent about $14,000 a person to cruise around the world on a luxurious ship — racking up a wanderlust-worthy Instagram feed of exotic beaches and bikini-clad shots —before embarking on an excursion they didn't sign up for: into the hands of Australian authorities after allegedly attempting a 95-kilogram cocaine smuggle on Aug. 28.
The Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection issued a news release this week on what they have called a "record for drugs seized off a cruise vessel coming to Australia" allegedly committed by three individuals from Quebec.
TheStar.com, a Toronto-based news site, identified the citizens as André Tamine, 63, Isabelle Lagacé, 28, and Melina Roberge, 22. Tamine's relationship to Lagacé and Roberge is unclear, but the two women are believed to have been travelling companions. The site estimated the drugs to be worth $30.5 million Canadian dollars (about $23 million USD), the report said.
Women Post Vacation Photos Before Arrest For Smuggling $23 Million In Cocaine
The vacationers had agencies from multiple places they visited during their world-wide cruise following their tracks.
The Australian immigration agency said in a news release that the bust on Sunday was a "joint operation between the Australian Border Force (ABF) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP), in cooperation with the US Department of Homeland Security (HSI), New Zealand Custom Service (NZCS) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has resulted in the seizure of approximately 95 kilograms of cocaine [...]"
As the vessel, named the "MS Sea Princess" by The Star, docked in the Sydney Harbour, ABF officers and their detector dogs boarded the ship and searched "a number" of staterooms, finding the drugs "packed in suitcases."
"[...] these three Canadian nationals did not have much room for clean underwear or spare toothbrushes," the Australian Border Force said in a Facebook post.
Australian Border Services also shared the country's maximum penalty for drug importation charges: "life imprisonment."
Should the three tourists be convicted and spend the rest of their lives staring through a prison cell, the two women's final memories of freedom have been documented on Roberge's Instagram and Facebook accounts. The sexy posts paint a luxurious affair which started in England and landed on Bermudan beaches, in the hustle and bustle of Manhattan's Times Square, and colorful Chilean streets lined with vendors.
Roberge also got an ankle tattoo when she was in Tahiti — just a few stops before her arrest — to signify "protection of the traveler." The fresh ink didn't offer immunity from authorities.
She also went to "a place very peaceful" before her potential transition from well-appointed stateroom to jail cell, she said on Instagram.
According to The Star, investigators are in the process of pinpointing the port where the alleged smugglers brought the drugs aboard the boat.
An itinerary similar to the one traveled by the group is listed on the Princess Cruise Line website with fares starting at nearly $11,069 per person.
Australian Government said "further arrests have not been ruled out."
Click through the gallery above to followRoberge and Lagace's illustrious travels which may land them behind bars.
mmendoza@mysa.com
Twitter: @MaddySkye
