By Sean Tarek Goodwin, ABC
More than a tonne of cocaine was allegedly located on board a vessel off the NSW coast. Photo: Supplied/NSW Police
- Five men have been charged after NSW Police seized more than a tonne of cocaine
- The drugs, worth an estimated $623.4 million, were allegedly found on a boat off Nambucca Heads
- The five men were denied bail at Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday
Police have seized cocaine they say is more than half a billion dollars from a boat off the New South Wales mid-north coast.
They intercepted the vessel about nine nautical miles off the coast of Nambucca Heads on Friday morning.
Officers claim they found more than 1000 bricks of cocaine, weighing just over a tonne in total.
They estimate the drugs have a street value of A$623 million (NZ$675m) and would constitute more than a million individual doses.
Motor cruiser bought with cash
Police were alerted to the operation, when a motor cruiser boat was purchased with cash in Sydney's Sutherland Shire last month.
They said they tracked the vessel north along the coast, while monitoring the communications and movements of those associated with the purchase.
Two men, aged 24 and 26, were arrested on board the boat and three others were arrested in a vehicle near South West Rocks.
Police also executed search warrants in homes around Newcastle, seizing electronic devices, documents and cash.
Two men aboard the motor cruiser were charged with supplying a prohibited rug and participating in a criminal group. Photo: Supplied/NSW Police
The two men arrested on board the vessel were charged with supplying a prohibited drug in a commercial quantity and participating in a criminal group. The three arrested on land were charged with taking part in the supply of a prohibited drug in a commercial quantity and participating in a criminal group.
"Australia's vast coastline is attractive to organised crime groups, who attempt to exploit this by trying to import drugs using boats," Australian Federal Police assistant commissioner Stephen Dametto said.
"The bad news for them is the AFP will continue to work together with our partners to target organised crime syndicates who wrongly believe they can operate with impunity."
The five men appeared at Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday, where they were all formally refused bail to appear at Coffs Harbour Local Court on 15 July.
- ABC
