Australian police have arrested 13 people in what authorities described as the largest-ever cocaine bust in the country’s history.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said on Monday that they had charged 11 men and two juveniles after tracking a fishing boat that allegedly travelled to meet a mother ship loaded with cocaine off the coast of Queensland.
After the boat broke down 18km (10 nautical miles) off the coast, police carried out multiple arrests and seized 2.3 tonnes of cocaine with a street value of 760 million Australian dollars ($494m), the AFP said.
The arrests followed a months-long investigation prompted by a tip-off that a motorcycle gang was planning to smuggle drugs into the country, AFP Commander Stephen Jay said.
“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 of whom was charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs, were expected to appear before court on Monday.
They face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if convicted.
In 2023-24, Australian police seized 31.3 tonnes of illicit drugs and assisted international authorities in seizing 41.8 tonnes of drugs, according to the AFP.