Crew in court over bid to ship in 1 tonne of cocaine

Six crew of a merchant vessel have been charged over a bid to smuggle one tonne of cocaine into Australia.

The five Hondurans and sole Ecuadorian are due to appear in NSW Bails Court today (March 30) charged with conspiring to import illegal drugs in commercial quantity.

The Australian Federal Police allege that the six operated a 40m vessel, the MV Raider, that had been modified with three smuggling hides built into it.

The AFP claim these hides were built in Central America to hide the drugs in case they are searched while at sea.

In January, the French Navy stopped the ship on the high seas and found and disposed of 4.8 tonnes of cocaine before the MV Raider and its crew were released under French Polynesian law.

Police told the court they suspected an Australian-based crew working for a criminal syndicate was waiting to meet the ship for an at-sea transfer within Australia’s Economic Exclusion Zone.

According to the AFP, Australian Border Force and NSW Police Marine officers met the MV Raider 180 nautical miles off the NSW coast in late February.

CREW DETAINED THEN ARRESTED

The crew were interviewed, advised of their rights and told they are banned from entering Australian ports.

The AFP told the court that on March 12, the MV Raider placed a distress call to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority; it was escorted into Sydney Harbour the next day by NSW Police after the crew reported mechanical issues and low critical supplies.

The crew was detained by ABF officials as illegal marine arrivals and taken to the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre.

The AFT says searches of the crew’s electronic devices allegedly found evidence to indicate that the ship may had more drugs on board.

AFP and ABF NSW officers then searched the ship at anchor in Snails Bay, Sydney Harbour, on March 25.

During the search, the AFP says officers seized documents and electronic devices that they allege was used to co-ordinate the distribution of cocaine within Australian waters as well as a satellite phone.

It was during the search that officers located what the AFP says are three professionally installed smuggler hides suspected of previously holding up to six tonnes of cocaine.

The ship’s crew at the Villawood centre were also searched and clothing taken for forensic examination.

It will be alleged further evidence seized linked six members of the ship's crew to at least one drop-off of drugs within Australia's territorial waters.

On Saturday, March 28, five Honduran males aged 26, 63, 31, 36, 61 and a 43-year-old Ecuadorian were charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of illegal drugs; the maximum penalty they face if convicted is life in jail.

Inquiries are continuing.

crew... Police officials search the vessel at anchor in Sydney Harbour. Photos: supplied. — Photo: supplied.

AFP WARNS SMUGGLERS

AFP Commander Brett James says the AFP is alert to attempts to smuggle drugs into the country via custom-built motherships.

“We know that criminals go to extreme lengths, and often risk their lives, to smuggle drugs into Australia with no regard to the harm they cause,” he says.

“Multiple people have been rescued from the ocean in recent years after hitting trouble while allegedly trying to collect cocaine consignments.

“Investigations remain ongoing; we will work with our international and domestic law enforcement partners to identify the criminal syndicates – and anyone else – involved in facilitating this alleged cocaine import,” Commander James says.

ABF ‘KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR’

ABF Commander Rose Cracknell says his agency is continuing to make Australia’s border a hostile environment for criminal syndicates.

“Our intelligence sharing with partner agencies across the globe is exceptional; this coupled with the ABF Maritime Operations teams' intricate knowledge of complex vessel concealments resulted in further evidence coming to light,” she says.

“We know that criminal groups will try to use Australia's vast coastline to attempt to breach our borders, but criminals should always assume we are watching and ready to take action."

NSW Police Marine Area Command superintendent Joseph McNulty says co-operation is key to their efforts.

“Working collaboratively with the AFP and ABF, NSW Police Marine plays a critical role in deterring, disrupting and intercepting suspicious vessels.”