Australian man charged over 200 kg cocaine import
Sydney, April 20 (IANS/GURPUNEET SIDHU) A 41-year-old Australian man has been charged by police over an alleged attempt to import 200 kg of cocaine into the country by sea.
A joint statement on Monday from federal law enforcement agencies and police in the east coast states of New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland said that the man was arrested on Thursday after officers located the cocaine on board an intercepted catamaran.
Police said that the vessel was intercepted by an organised crime task force investigating an alleged plan by a criminal syndicate with links to outlaw motorcycle gangs to sail cocaine into Australian waters before transferring it to local vessels to bring the cocaine to shore.
It will be alleged in court that the catamaran had sailed out of the Tweed River, located in northern NSW near the border with Queensland, on Tuesday to collect the drugs before returning on Thursday, when it was intercepted.
In addition to 200 kg of cocaine, police said that 100,000 Australian dollars (71,500 US dollars) in cash was found on board.
The 41-year-old man from northern NSW was charged with one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug and faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Investigations to determine the vessel and the crew responsible for transporting the cocaine into Australian waters are ongoing.
Earlier, on March 24, the Australian police charged a man over an alleged attempt to smuggle 20 kg of heroin into the country from Thailand.
The Australian Border Force (ABF) and Australian Federal Police (AFP) said that the 26-year-old man from the state of New South Wales was selected for a baggage examination on arrival at Sydney Airport on a flight from Bangkok.
During the examination, ABF officers located 34 vacuum-sealed bags containing a combined 20 kg of heroin.
According to authorities, the heroin had an estimated value of 10 million Australian dollars (7 million US dollars) and could have supplied 100,000 street deals.
The case was turned over to AFP officers, who arrested the 26-year-old and charged him with one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
AFP Detective Superintendent Morgen Blunden said that the attempted importation highlights the determination of organised crime groups to exploit international travel pathways for profit.
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