A 91-year-old man arrested at Sydney Airport with 4.5 kilograms of cocaine in his luggage says he had no idea he was carrying drugs.
Victor Twartz, a retired oral surgeon, appeared in an Australian court yesterday.
According to the police there was cocaine worth more than $1 million inside 27 bars of soap in a bag given to Mr Twartz by people he met on an all-expenses paid trip to India.
Mr Twartz said he believed he was carrying only soap that was to be a gift for a banker in Australia who was to release a $10 million inheritance to him .
His son, Peter Twartz, said his father was a devout Seventh Day Adventist with no criminal background, and had been caught up in a scam.
Federal Police commander David Stewart said vulnerable people can often fall for scams involving money or romance.
