In March 2023, Melbourne man Justin Craig Barnett thought his side hustle had really paid off.
He texted his wife, telling her he expected to receive a $2 million dollar payment.
"Daddy's getting a Lamborghini mate," he wrote.
Barnett, a construction site manager by trade, believed he was on the cusp of facilitating one of the biggest-ever drug shipments into Australia.
But his excitement was short-lived. He never received a massive payday, and presumably didn't get to buy a Lamborghini either.
Instead, Barnett was arrested in June 2023.
On Thursday, the 40-year-old was sentenced to 23 years' jail for drug trafficking in the County Court of Victoria.
The 'canola oil' plot
The court heard Barnett roped in his friend Benjamin Wilson, who worked at a local Pack & Send, to help manage