Australia Makes Largest Ever Drug Bust Worth $760 Million Off Queensland Coast, 13 Arrested

Australian authorities have arrested 13 people after seizing a record-breaking 2.34 tonnes of cocaine, worth around $760 million, off the Queensland coast.

This operation is the largest-ever cocaine bust in Australia’s history after a joint investigation by the Australian Federal Police and Queensland Police Service.

The suspects, including two juveniles and 11 men, were allegedly part of a transnational syndicate with ties to the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle gang.

They were charged with conspiring to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

The investigation, named Operation Tyrrendor, began in November 2024 after intelligence revealed a plan to smuggle cocaine by sea. Authorities tracked a recreational fishing boat, which reportedly met a larger “mothership” offshore to collect the drugs.

However, the plan was uncovered when the boat suffered a mechanical failure about 18 kilometres off the northeastern tip of K’gari (Fraser Island).

Police immediately moved in, making arrests at sea near Bundaberg and Brisbane. Onboard the stranded vessel, officers found 51 bales, each containing about 40 kilograms of cocaine packaged in 1-kilogram blocks.

The first arrests were made on Saturday evening, with Queensland Police Service tactical officers detaining two men, aged 43 and 44, near the Strathdees Boat Ramp. Shortly after, Australian Federal Police officers boarded the disabled boat and arrested two crew members, aged 35 and 57.

Meanwhile, other arrests were made onshore, including three men caught near a Bundaberg fast-food restaurant and others during a traffic stop.

In Brisbane, police raided a house in Victoria Point, arresting a 51-year-old man. All suspects are Australian citizens and are set to appear in various courts today.

AFP Commander Stephen Jay discussed the lengths criminals go to smuggle drugs into Australia. “This alleged attempt to collect over two tonnes of cocaine from the ocean shows that criminals will do anything for greed and profit,” he said.

He talked about the dangers involved in such operations, adding, “Anyone attempting at-sea trafficking not only risks their freedom but their life.”

Queensland Police Detective Acting Chief Superintendent Craig Morrow praised the collaboration between agencies.

The Australian Federal Police seized over 31 tonnes of illegal drugs in the 2023/24 financial year. Commander Jay says that Australia remains a prime target for drug traffickers due to its lucrative market but warned them, “We stand ready to act and disrupt your criminal activities.”

Reference: AFP