Why Perth mining executive may now DIE in jail after the gullible grandad's huge mistake saw him caught in an $11million scam

By CANDACE SUTTON, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 02:49, 8 April 2026 | Updated: 02:52, 8 April 2026 A mining executive has been found guilty of smuggling $11million of heroin in a folding camping bed after a jury didn't believe his claim that he was the gullible dupe of international druglords. Barry Calverley, 70, could die in jail after a NSW District Court jury took just over eight hours to find him guilty of one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug. The crime carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment which could mean the Perth grandfather may never see his home state again. Calverley - who has a wife of 31 years, three successful daughters, a mining career spanning decades and once owned a country estate in Western Australia - has been locked up in NSW prisons since his arrest. He was intercepted at Sydney Airport on January 24, 2024 after travelling to Laos in south-east Asia. Calverley had been promised $10million to transport 'a little gift' in a green camping bed back to Australia. He insisted he didn't know that 48 packages of heroin were hidden in the bed's hollow legs. When Australian Border Force officers told him drugs had been found, he said: 'I was scammed - I think I have been set up by Nigerians.' Barry Calverley had it all – success, family and a career as a  mining executive - but now he faces life in jail after a jury did not believe he was the gullible dupe of a drug gang and found him guilty of a crime and facing possible life in prison  Calverley, 70, claimed he was bringing in the Vietnamese camp bed because his wife 'loved camping', but Border Force officers found 2.64kg of pure heroin secreted in the bed's hollow legs The Perth grandfather may never see his home state of Western Australia again as he faces a potential life sentence for smuggling $11m of heroin into Australia Calverley, who has worked in India, Singapore and West Africa on gas and oil projects for resources giants Shell, ExxonMobil, BHP and Santos, has reportedly found life difficult in jail since his arrest.  Commonwealth prosecutor Sheridan Goodwin told the jury at Calverley's trial in Sydney's Downing Centre District Court that the total weight of pure heroin within the bed was 2.64kg. Part of Calverley's defence was that he thought the money offered was compensation for having been conned out of $260,000 in 2022.  WhatsApp messages between Calverley and supposed international drug kingpins were part of the Crown Prosecution brief tendered in his case. The messages showed how the drug gang became increasingly insistent about Calverley carrying the bed through Australian customs to deliver to 'the Paymaster' at a Sydney hotel. The texts revealed he first made contact with the 'drug operatives' in November 2023 when he was told to contact a 'Mr Robert Pridham'.  Within two months, 'Mr Pridham' had arranged flights and a hotel. Calverley flew from Perth to Laos on January 16, 2024 and stayed at the Lao Golden Hotel in Vientiane. On January 22, two days before he was due to fly home, Calverley allegedly texted Pridham, writing: 'What is the gift for the paymaster?  Barry Calverley - who has a wife of 31 years, three successful daughters, a mining career spanning decades and once owned a country estate in Western Australia - has been found guilty of importing a commercial quantity of drugs Calverley was booked flights and a room at the Lao Golden Hotel by a mysterious figure he said he never met in what he claims was a scam. But a jury didn't believe him and found him guilty Calverley, 70, a wine connoisseur from Western Australia where he has worked on sites including the Pilbara for up to $2,000 a day, has been 'finding prison life difficult' 'Australian Customs are very specific about what can and can't be taken into the country.'  When Calverley questioned whether there was 'anything illegal' in the gift, the texts show he was reassured that it was all legitimate. According to the ABF and police interviews, Calverley was asked if he had a story ready just as he was about to leave Laos for Sydney, transiting via Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. He allegedly told Pridham that if Customs asked about the camping bed, he would say: 'The bed is for my wife.' Police documents showed Calverley took a final selfie dressed in a blue and green rugby–style jersey. Despite assuring Pridham that he would change his jumper before flying, he was wearing the same shirt in his arrest photo mugshot. On his arrival at Sydney Airport on board Vietnam Airlines flight VN087 at 1.15pm on the day of his arrest, Calverley was allegedly due to meet the mysterious 'Paymaster' at the Kith Hotel in Darling Harbour to deliver the camping bed bag. But at 2.08pm he was escorted by an ABF officer to Barrier 25 with his three travelling bags. Barry Calverley's career as a mining safety consultant spans decades and  has seen him work in India, Singapore and West Africa on gas and oil projects for resources giants Shell, ExxonMobil, BHP and Santos In WhatsApp messages between the drug gang and Calverley, he is reassured that the 'little gift' he is to bring in to Australia is merely an adjustable camping bed Should age and claimed gullibility reduce the sentence for serious drug-related crimes? What's your view?Asked about the camping bag, Calverley allegedly told officers he had paid $58 for it in Laos 'for his wife because she loves camping'. The officers then asked him for his mobile phone pin number, and after placing the camping bag under an X–ray machine and noting anomalies, began drilling into the metal poles inside. In jail since, the Western Australian mining safety consultant, who had never been in custody before, has suffered from hearing difficulties and has endured cardiac and gastro–intestinal issues.  Calverley was a wine connoisseur who worked as a consultant for up to $2,000 a day, a court heard during one of his failed bail applications before trial. Calverley had 'a long history of medical concerns' including dermatitis and psoriasis, which it was argued by his defence counsel, could not be adequately treated in prison. He will be sentenced on April 22.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.