Street value € 469 million

Automatically stored draft

(Bild: Australian Federal Police)

Australian drug investigators have made the largest cocaine seizure in the country's history. A drug syndicate had attempted to smuggle 2.34 tons of the drug by sea to Queensland, the National Police and Customs announced on Monday.

Eleven suspects aged between 20 and 57 were arrested, including the crew of a fishing boat that was transporting the drugs, as well as men on land who wanted to receive the cocaine. All are facing life imprisonment.

Street value of 469 million euros
The cocaine had an estimated street value of around 760 million Australian dollars (equivalent to 469 million euros) and would have equated to 11.7 million individual street deals if it had reached the market, it said.

The cocaine had an estimated street value of around 760 million Australian dollars (equivalent to 469 million euros)(Bild: Australian Federal Police)

(Bild: Australian Federal Police)

Operation Tyrrendor launched in November
Police launched the investigation, codenamed Operation Tyrrendor, in November after intelligence agencies reported a crime syndicate with links to the notorious Comanchero motorcycle club.

Drugs come from mother ship
Since last week, investigators have been observing a suspicious fishing boat. It is said to have taken the drugs from the mother ship and then attempted to head for the Queensland coast. However, the boat ran aground near the popular vacation island of K'gari (formerly Fraser Island) due to a mechanical defect.

51 bales of cocaine on board
The officers arrested the crew. On board they discovered 51 bales wrapped in rope nets. Each contained 40 kilos of cocaine packed in individual one-kilo blocks. "These arrests should serve as a warning to criminal syndicates attempting to bring illegal substances into our country," said Police Chief Stephen Jay.