(CLO) Australian police seized a record 2.3 tonnes of cocaine and arrested 13 people in raids after a boat carrying suspects ran into trouble off the Queensland coast, authorities said on December 2.
The drugs have a street value of about 760 million Australian dollars (494 million dollars), and if distributed, would be equivalent to 11.7 million street deals in a country of 28 million people, according to the Australian Federal Police.
Investigators said the drugs were shipped from an unidentified South American country.
Australian Federal Police Commander Stephen Jay said the arrests on November 30 and December 1 followed a month-long investigation following information that the Comancheros bikie gang was planning a multi-tonne smuggling operation.
Australian Federal Police officers stand with about 350 kilograms of seized cocaine, at a press conference in Brisbane, Australia, on December 2. Photo: AAP
The smugglers made two attempts to ship drugs to Australia from a mothership floating hundreds of miles off the coast. Their first boat ran into trouble, while the second sank on November 30, leaving the suspects stranded offshore for hours until police raided and seized the drugs, Mr Jay said.
Mr Jay said the mother ship remained in international waters and was not detained.
Police have seized more than a tonne of cocaine in the past, but the weekend's seizure is the largest ever in Australia.
Those arrested face charges of conspiring to import drugs into Australia by sea and will appear in court on November 2. The maximum penalty for this charge is life imprisonment.
Police said some people were arrested on the boat, while others were waiting on shore to pick up the drugs. Two of those arrested were under 18, all were Australian citizens.
“Australia is an attractive market for organised crime groups trafficking drugs such as cocaine,” Mr Jay said.
Ngoc Anh (according to AP)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/canh-sat-uc-thu-giu-ky-luc-23-tan-cocain-tu-tau-danh-ca-post323846.html
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