Massive Australian cocaine bust reveals smuggling routes growing in Pacific

Dec 2

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Lauren Taylor Anchor

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), William Jackson (Producer), Bast Bramhall (Video Editor)

Authorities on two continents have made significant strides in the fight against the global cocaine trade. Australia and Columbia seized record amounts of drugs and uncovering sophisticated smuggling operations.

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In Australia, a disabled fishing boat led to the country’s largest-ever cocaine seizure. In Columbia, officials intercepted “narco subs,” highlighting a growing Pacific trafficking route aimed at high-demand markets.

Australia

Australian police intercepted 2.3 tons of cocaine off the coast of Queensland Saturday, Nov. 29. It was the largest cocaine bust in the nation’s history.

Authorities said drug runners smuggled the drugs from South America aboard a fishing boat. Officials said the drugs are valued at 760 million Australian dollars ($494 million).

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The operation followed a tip about the Comancheros motorcycle gang and a monthlong investigation. Police said the smugglers made two failed attempts to transport the drugs from a “mothership” stationed in international waters.

Authorities arrested 13 people, including two minors. Some were arrested at sea, while others were detained onshore. They said the arrest happened while the suspects were waiting to collect the shipment.

The suspects face charges of conspiring to import drugs by sea, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. Police Commander Stephen Jay said Australia’s high demand and high street prices for cocaine make it a lucrative target for organized crime.

Columbia

In Colombia, police seized six “narco subs” carrying cocaine during the week of Nov. 25. Authorities said this was part of a six-week operation involving 62 countries.

“Operation Orion” resulted in the capture of 1,400 metric tons of drugs, including 225 tons of cocaine and 128 tons of marijuana.

One semisubmersible vessel, intercepted in the Pacific Ocean, carried five tons of cocaine destined for Australia. Officials said the craft could travel up to 10,000 miles without refueling, indicating new trafficking routes targeting Australia, where cocaine sells for up to $370,000 per kilogram.

Colombian authorities said cartels have evolved into global networks, collaborating across continents to smuggle drugs to Europe, the U.S., and Oceania. Authorities arrested more than 400 people during the operation. They said the operation also revealed increasingly sophisticated smuggling methods.

Narco subs, first used by Colombian cartels in the 1990s, remain a primary method for transporting large quantities of drugs. Colombia, the world’s largest producer of cocaine, set records last year in production and coca cultivation. Australia, with the highest per capita cocaine use globally, is a key destination for traffickers.

Tags: Australia, Cocaine, Colombia, Drug cartels, Drugs, Submarines

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

AUTHORITIES ON TWO CONTINENTS ARE CRACKING DOWN ON THE GLOBAL COCAINE TRADE, SEIZING RECORD AMOUNTS OF DRUGS AND EXPOSING SOPHISTICATED SMUGGLING NETWORKS. IN AUSTRALIA, A BROKEN-DOWN FISHING BOAT LED TO THE COUNTRY’S LARGEST-EVER COCAINE BUST, WHILE IN COLOMBIA, “NARCO SUBS” REVEALED A GROWING PACIFIC TRAFFICKING ROUTE TARGETING HIGH-DEMAND MARKETS.

AUSTRALIA POLICE INTERCEPTED A RECORD 2.3 TONS OF COCAINE OFF THE COAST OF QUEENSLAND SATURDAY. THE DRUGS, VALUED AT NEARLY $500 MILLION, WERE SMUGGLED FROM SOUTH AMERICA ABOARD A FISHING BOAT LINKED TO THE COMANCHEROS MOTORCYCLE GANG. INVESTIGATORS SAY THE SUSPECTS MADE TWO FAILED ATTEMPTS TO BRING THE SHIPMENT ASHORE FROM A “MOTHERSHIP” IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS. THIRTEEN PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED, INCLUDING TWO MINORS.

THIS IS THE LARGEST COCAINE BUST IN AUSTRALIA’S HISTORY, WITH AUTHORITIES WARNING THE NATION REMAINS A PRIME TARGET FOR GLOBAL CARTELS DUE TO HIGH DEMAND AND SOARING STREET PRICES.

MEANWHILE IN COLOMBIA, THE NAVY SEIZED SIX “NARCO SUBS” LAST WEEK CARRYING COCAINE AS PART OF A SIX-WEEK OPERATION INVOLVING 62 COUNTRIES. “OPERATION ORION” INTERCEPTED 1,400 METRIC TONS OF DRUGS, INCLUDING 225 TONS OF COCAINE AND 128 TONS OF MARIJUANA. THE STREET VALUE OF THE SEIZURES IS ESTIMATED TO BE 8.4 BILLION DOLLARS.

ONE OF THE SEMI-SUBMERSIBLE VESSELS, CAPTURED IN THE PACIFIC, CARRIED FIVE TONS OF COCAINE BOUND FOR AUSTRALIA. THESE SUBS CAN TRAVEL UP TO 10,000 MILES WITHOUT REFUELING, HIGHLIGHTING NEW TRAFFICKING ROUTES TO AUSTRALIA, WHERE COCAINE SELLS FOR UP TO $370,000 PER KILOGRAM.

COLOMBIAN AUTHORITIES SAY CARTELS ARE OPERATING AS GLOBAL NETWORKS, COLLABORATING ACROSS CONTINENTS TO SMUGGLE DRUGS FROM SOUTH AMERICA TO EUROPE, THE U.S., AND OCEANIA. OVER 400 PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED DURING THE OPERATION.

COLOMBIA, THE LARGEST PRODUCER OF COCAINE, SET RECORDS LAST YEAR FOR PRODUCTION AND COCA CULTIVATION, WHILE AUSTRALIA RANKS AS THE WORLD’S HIGHEST PER CAPITA USER OF COCAINE.

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