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A New Zealand man was arrested after a yacht full of hundreds of kilograms of suspected methamphetamine was detained off the coast of Australia.
The Kiwi and a British-South African man will appear in a Sydney court on Sunday, after the ship was intercepted by the New South Wales Police (NSWP) in waters off Lake Macquarie, north of Sydney.
The yacht had been taken to the Balmain suburb, where the drugs will be unloaded and the full import volume will be known, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said on Sunday.
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AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE / SUPPLIED
The kiwi and a British-South African man were due to appear in a Sydney court on Sunday.
According to a statement by the Australian Border Force (ABF), the arrests came after a multi-agency investigation known as Operation ROMANI, which comprises AFP, NSWP and ABF, in collaboration with agencies in the United Kingdom and New Caledonia.
On Thursday, April 16, the authorities of New Caledonia informed the AFP international command and ABF about the arrival of a ship of interest in the waters of the Pacific the previous day.
The ship would allegedly have been in waters near Norfolk Island and then traveled to New Caledonia. The crew told New Caledonian authorities that they had traveled from Mexico.
The Australian research team identified a second vessel of interest: a yacht known as La Fayette. Police alleged that this yacht was laden with border-controlled drugs in waters around Norfolk Island.
AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE / SUPPLIED
Police boats surround the yacht.
On April 17, La Fayette was located by the ABF Border Maritime Command on the south east coast of Australia. The ship’s movements continued to be tracked as the Australian joint investigation team prepared for an interception in the water.
At around 4 am Saturday, the NSWPF Marine Area Command ship NEMESIS intercepted La Fayette some 50 nautical miles east of Lake Macquarie.
The two crew members, a 33-year-old New Zealand citizen and a 34-year-old man with dual British / South African citizenship, were arrested on board.
NEMESIS towed the yacht to the NSWPF Marine Area Command in Balmain on Saturday afternoon.
AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE / SUPPLIED
The yacht was suspected of being filled with hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine.
Investigators allegedly placed plastic-wrapped blocks on board the ship. Specialized forensic officers continue to deconstruct the pot and examine the contents, which are believed to contain methamphetamine. Further forensic tests would be performed to determine the exact weight and purity of the seized substances.
The men were taken to the Surry Hills police station and charged with importing a commercial quantity of controlled drugs at the border and were due to appear before the Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday morning via video link.
The maximum penalty for the crime is life imprisonment.
AFP Assistant Commissioner Oriental Command Justine Gough said that even as world borders were being physically closed, police remain vigilant for attempts to infiltrate transnational borders to bring illicit drugs to Australian markets.
AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE / SUPPLIED
Joint investigations with agencies in Australia and on the high seas continue, and new arrests have not been ruled out.
“Organized crime groups will stop at nothing, not even a global pandemic, to try to flood our communities with drugs for greed and profit,” said Gough.
“Our cross-border collaboration continues to be strong in these times, and through our relationships around the world, we will not stop in our efforts to protect our communities from the destruction of illicit drugs.”
NSWPF State Crime Commander, Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith, said significant NSW police resources had been used to aggressively attack and intercept the yacht before drugs could hit the streets of NSW.
“The experience of the Marine Area Command, assisted by the Border Maritime Command, has allowed the police to execute a tactical navigation plan and successfully board the yacht and arrest two men,” said Smith.
“In light of the restrictions and guidelines under the Public Health Law, we have taken numerous additional precautions in accordance with the COVID-19 protocol, and as a result, the two offenders and all officers on the ship were decontaminated and screened for the virus”.
AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE / SUPPLIED
Two men were arrested as a result of the transnational investigation.
“With each seizure we make, a union is eliminated and it is evident that this criminal network has taken extreme measures to traffic drugs to New South Wales under current international travel restrictions.”
“Since the beginning of this year, the Organized Crime Squadron, with the help of our law enforcement partners, has seized hundreds of pounds of prohibited drugs and disrupted multiple criminal networks and their activities.”
ABF Acting Regional Commander for NSW Garry Low said this operation shows the importance of cooperation and shared intelligence across the South Pacific.
“The ABF continues to work closely with our law enforcement partners, here and abroad, to catch and prosecute criminals, no matter where in the supply chain they sit,” Low said.
AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE / SUPPLIED
The men were accused of importing a commercial quantity of controlled drugs at the border.
“Criminal unions must know that we will not only find their drug conceals when they reach our seaports and airports, but that we are also watching their movements before they reach Australia. The ABF has its eyes on our oceans, not just on our land borders. “
Joint investigations with agencies in Australia and on the high seas continue, and new arrests have not been ruled out.
– Things, with AAP
