Australian police have seized the largest-ever cocaine bust in the history of the country from a fishing boat near the coast of Queensland.
According to Al Jazeera, Australian authorities said on Monday, December 2, 2024, that they seized 2.3 tons of cocaine worth 760 million Australian dollars ($494 million) during the biggest-ever recorded haul in the country.
As per the officials, the boat carrying cocaine could have been sold in around 11.7 million individual deals and broke down 18 km (10 nautical miles) off the coast, leading to multiple arrests and raids.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) announced on Monday that they have arrested 13 people, 11 men and two juveniles, after tracking the fishing boat that allegedly traveled out to sea to meet a cocaine-loaded mother ship in international waters.
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.”
“This alleged attempt to collect more than 2 tons of cocaine from the ocean shows that criminals will do anything for their own greed and profit,” he continued.
Furthermore, people charged with conspiracy to import huge quantities of cocaine were expected to appear before the court later on Monday and could face life imprisonment if found guilty.
