Australian police have seized 2.3 tonnes of cocaine from a broken-down boat off the coast of Queensland, marking the largest cocaine bust in Australian history. The drugs, with an estimated street value of A$760 million ($490 million; £388 million), could have been distributed across 11.7 million street deals.
Eleven men and two juveniles were arrested, including the boat’s crew and individuals waiting on shore to collect the illegal shipment. One of the men arrested was allegedly the vice president of the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle club’s Brisbane chapter. Biker gangs, notorious for drug-related violence in Australia, have been linked to over 1,000 shootings since the 1980s.
The cocaine bust is part of a larger investigation into the Comanchero gang, codenamed Operation Tyrrendor, which began last month. Authorities had received intelligence indicating a criminal syndicate with ties to the gang was planning to import illegal drugs into Australia.
This operation follows last week’s reports that the Colombian navy intercepted a semi-submersible vessel carrying cocaine bound for Australia. Investigators revealed that the cocaine shipment came from an unidentified South American country.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP), in collaboration with the Queensland Police Service (QPS) and Australian Border Force (ABF), tracked a fishing boat recently purchased by a 35-year-old man. On Saturday night, the boat, intended to transport cocaine from a larger mothership to the Queensland coast, suffered a mechanical failure about 18 kilometers from the north-eastern tip of K’gari.
Upon interception, authorities found 51 bales, each containing 40kg of cocaine, totaling 2.34 tonnes. Two men were arrested on the boat, while two others were apprehended on the coast. Three more arrests were made at a nearby fast-food restaurant, and five additional arrests took place during a traffic stop. The final arrest occurred in Brisbane after a search warrant was executed.
All 11 men and two juveniles have been charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of cocaine, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
