The boat is searched at a marina in Hervey Bay. Photo: AFP
Two juveniles are among 13 people charged over the discovery of Australia’s largest cocaine shipment in Queensland.
The 13 have been charged by Australian Federal Police of trying to import 2.34 tonnes of cocaine, worth $760 million, by sea.
The AFP says the group were arrested overnight on Saturday after a joint investigation involving Queensland police which began last month.
Alerted to the attempt, federal and Queensland police, and Australian Border Force (ABF) officers tracked a fishing boat out to sea where they allege it met a mothership to collect the cocaine then return to shore.
But when the boat broke down about 18km north-east of K’gari (Fraser) Island on Saturday, police made arrests at sea, in the Bundaberg region and Brisbane.
The AFP says two men, aged 43 and 44, were arrested by Queensland officers near Strathdees Boat Ramp, Bundaberg, at about 7pm on Saturday.
At about 7.40pm, AFP officers boarded the boat and arrested two men, aged 35 and 57; a search revealed 51 bales clad in roped netting; each bale contained about 40kg of a white substance packaged in 1kg blocks.
The AFP say the substance returned a presumptive positive result for cocaine.
Queensland Water Police then towed the stricken vessel to a marina in Hervey Bay.
About 7.50pm, three men, aged 20, 22 and 28 were arrested near a fast food restaurant in Bundaberg East.
Three more men, aged 20, 28 and 34, and two juveniles, were arrested during a traffic stop near Link Road, Bundaberg East about 9pm on Saturday.
In Brisbane, police officers raided a house in Victoria Point and arrested a 51-year-old male resident.
The 11 men and two juveniles have each been charged with one count of conspiracy to import illegal under the Criminal Code. The maximum penalty is life imprisonment.
They were due to face court in Bundaberg and Maryborough magistrates courts.
In the 2023-24 financial year, the AFP says it seized 31.3 tonnes of illegal drugs domestically and helped overseas authorities seize 41.8 tonnes.
AFP Commander Stephen Jay says they are alert to transnational crime syndicates attempting to import drugs into Australia via the seas.
“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,” Commander 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.
“Multiple people have been rescued from the ocean in recent years after hitting trouble while allegedly trying to collect cocaine consignments.”
