A Cessna twin engine aircraft crashed on an old airstrip outside PNG's capital on Sunday 26 July on a suspected drug run. Photo: RPNGC
Four people connected with a so-called 'black-flight' from Papua New Guinea, intending to deliver a huge quantity of cocaine to Australia, have been sentenced in the National Court.
They were part of a failed attempt to fly 611 kilogrammes of cocaine, valued at 200 million kina, or US$49.7 million, from a makeshift airfield outside Port Moresby.
The plane crashed at the end of the runway on takeoff.
The Australian pilot John Cutmore was sentenced to 18 years jail last year, but now four others - one Italian and three Papua New Guineans, have also been sentenced,
Italian Carlos D'Attanasio was given 19 years jail with light labour, and with time already served this comes to a little over 14 years 10 months.
The court acknowledged he was seriously ill with his medical bills for a private hospital in Port Moresby being paid by the Italian government.
The three Papua New Guineans, Shane Dikana, Dominic Terupo, and Morgan Mugo, have all received jail terms of 18 years with heavy labour, with deductions for time already served.