'World's oldest drug trafficker' a warning to all travellers: police
7News
August 12, 2015, 2:28 am
A 91-year-old Eastwood man is on bail for importing 4.5kg of cocaine after claiming drug traffickers from India duped him into becoming a mule.
Wearing a tweed suit and scarf, Victor Twartz faced a media scrum on Tuesday as he left court for his role in importing the drug disguised as bars of soap.
The retired surgeon has spent his golden years documenting his globetrotting on a travel blog but claims a recent trip took a sinister turn after meeting someone online.
"I had never been to India, and when they offered to pay my fare and pay for the hotel for a few days I thought I'd go," Twartz told 7News.
After months of being groomed online, someone claiming to be from the World Bank offered the septuagenarian a trip to New Delhi with his hotel covered.
Victor Twartz, 91, faced court today after being stopped at Sydney airport with 4.5kg of cocaine upon returning from India. Source: 7News
But before he left for home, the generous friend asked a favour – take a few soap bars back with him to deliver to a friend.
"I did look carefully at what was in it, and the soap, it was soap, certainly was, but it also had these streaks," he said.
He was arrested at Sydney airport for importing cocaine one month ago upon returning from the Subcontinent.
Twartz and the police warn travellers that if a trip sounds too goo to be true, it probably is. Source: 7News
Twartz has been grounded as part of his bail conditions and is not allowed to leave the country or enter an international airport.
Authorities said the elderly gent's experience should serve as warning to anyone that if a trip sounds too good to be true it probably is – and ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law.
And proving that you're never too old to learn a lesson, Twartz said people should be wary of those claiming to be righteous men.
"When somebody says to you as a child of god I vow to god there is nothing wrong … you know, that's something they're going to have to answer to god," he said.
