Comanchero Brisbane vice president charged over Australia's largest ever cocaine seizure

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A coordinated police response to the vessel allegedly uncovered 2.34 tonnes of cocaine. It is believed to be the largest drug bust in Australian history.

Transcript

00:00About a month ago, police received information that an organised crime syndicate were planning

00:07on importing a large amount of cocaine into Australia.

00:10Now, they've been gathering information since that time, and at the weekend, they tracked

00:15a small recreational vessel that had recently been purchased by a 35-year-old man as it

00:20travelled out to international waters and allegedly linked up with a mothership that

00:26had come from what's believed to be a South American country.

00:29Now, on its way back to Queensland waters, towards the port of Bundaberg, it got into

00:36trouble about 13 kilometres off the north-western tip of Garee.

00:40Now, police then intercepted that small recreational vessel, and on board, they allegedly found

00:482.34 tonnes of cocaine.

00:51Now, what you see next to me is about 322 kilograms of that seizure, so just a small

00:59fraction.

01:00That's estimated to be worth, the total seizure, around $760 million.

01:06So an incredible seizure, and as you mentioned, it's likely to be Australia's largest ever

01:11haul of cocaine.

01:13So what do we know about those allegedly involved, Will?

01:19So 13 people have been arrested, Roz, 11 men and 2 juveniles.

01:25What we know so far is some of them were on the boat itself, the recreational vessel.

01:31Some were in Bundaberg, allegedly awaiting to take that cocaine onshore, and a couple

01:36of members were also arrested in Brisbane.

01:39One of those that was arrested is the vice-president of the Comancheros Motorcycle Club, and they're

01:47all due to face court today, Roz.

01:50Interestingly, those on board the mothership that allegedly delivered the cocaine to international

01:55waters, which was then picked up by the daughter ship, the recreational vessel, the AFP haven't

02:01been able to say whether any arrests have been made at that end, but they'll liaise

02:06with their international partners, I'm sure, in the coming weeks.

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