drugs<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0had a street value of around \u00a3562.9m ($1bn Australian dollars), and were equivalent to half of Australia’s estimated annual consumption, according to police.<\/p>\nThe operation, which has been ongoing since November 2022, led to the arrest of 12 individuals.<\/p>\n
Fake cocaine used to lure suspects<\/strong><\/p>\nWestern Australian Police seized a small vessel on 28 December, with intelligence suggesting that alleged members of the syndicate were unaware and still expecting to receive the shipment.<\/p>\n
In a cunning plan to trap them, police substituted the cargo for fake cocaine using identical packaging.<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/div>
Police dropped fake cocaine into the water. (Image: Western Australia Police)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n
They dropped it 40 nautical miles west of the state capital Perth, while monitoring it using drones and helicopters.<\/p>\n
It is alleged that members of the syndicate then used two boats – Catalina and Cool Runnings – to make several attempts to find and retrieve the cargo.<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/div>
Police used helicopters and drones in the operation. (Image: Western Australia Police)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n
On 30 December, tactical response officers arrested three men onboard Cool Runnings, with approximately 1.2 tonnes of the fake cocaine.<\/p>\n
A further nine arrests were made through to 13 January, including on the Great Eastern highway, roughly 373 miles (600km) east of Perth, where officers found more than \u00a31.2m ($2m) in cash.<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/div>
Money seized from a vehicle on the Great Eastern highway. (Image: Western Australia Police)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n
Police charged a 39-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman who were allegedly connected to the syndicate, according to ABC.<\/p>\n
Deputy Commissioner Tony Longhorn said: “It’s a confidence booster… every time we do these operations we’re testing the limitations of our capabilities.”<\/p>\n
He added that implementing collaborative and innovative strategies in police intelligence would be key to tackling future drug activity.<\/p>\n
Source: \u00a0news.sky.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Australian police have intercepted $1bn Australian dollars worth of cocaine from entering the west of the country, in what is believed to be the nation’s biggest-ever drug bust. In a joint collaboration with the US,
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