Australian police have arrested 13 individuals in what is being described as the largest-ever cocaine bust in the country’s history.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) announced on Monday that they had charged 11 men and two juveniles following a daring operation that tracked a fishing boat allegedly travelling to meet a mother ship loaded with cocaine off the coast of Queensland.
After the fishing boat broke down 18km (10 nautical miles) off the coast, police executed multiple arrests and seized 2.3 tonnes of cocaine, which has a street value of 760 million Australian dollars (approximately $494 million).
The arrests were the result of a months-long investigation that was triggered by a tip-off about a motorcycle gang planning to smuggle drugs into the country, said AFP Commander Stephen Jay.
“We know that criminals go to extreme lengths, and often risk their own lives, to smuggle drugs into Australia with no regard to the harm they cause to Australian communities,” Jay said.
“This alleged attempt to collect more than two tonnes of cocaine from the ocean shows that criminals will do anything for their own greed and profit. Anyone involved in these at-sea trafficking enterprises is not just risking their freedom – they’re also risking their life.”
The arrested individuals, each charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs, were due to appear in court on Monday. They face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if convicted.
In the 2023-24 period, Australian police seized 31.3 tonnes of illicit drugs and assisted international authorities in the seizure of 41.8 tonnes of drugs, according to the AFP.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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