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Cocaine Ring Busted: Millions in Drugs Seized
18 Jun
Summary
- Nearly 40 kilograms of cocaine found at a Mackay boat ramp.
- 178 kilograms of cocaine and 142 kilograms of meth seized.
- Six Queensland men charged in international drug-smuggling operation.
Authorities have charged six men over an alleged multimillion-dollar drug import ring operating along Australia's east coast. The investigation began after a significant discovery of cocaine in regional Queensland. In May, nearly 40 kilograms of cocaine was found at a Mackay boat ramp, prompting a large-scale police operation.
Over a subsequent three-week period, the Queensland Joint Organised Crime Taskforce seized a total of 178 kilograms of cocaine and 142 kilograms of methamphetamine. Police believe the drugs arrived from overseas via a "mother vessel" from which smaller tenders delivered the illicit cargo to shore. This vessel has since been detained in the Solomon Islands.
The charged men, all from Queensland, are alleged to have been involved in importing and distributing the drugs. One suspect, a 41-year-old Mackay man, is accused of collecting the drugs from the boat ramp and transporting them to Brisbane. Another seizure occurred at a safe house in Petrie, where a kilogram of cocaine was found.
