Australian authorities seize record 2.3 tons of cocaine from broken down fishing boat, arrest 13 individuals

The Australian Federal Police, in collaboration with local authorities, seized a substantial quantity of cocaine from a fishing boat that had broken down approximately 18 kilometers off the coast of Queensland. The alleged shipment is believed to have originated from an unidentified South American country and was intended for distribution in Australia. The drugs have an estimated street value of $494 million USD, and their seizure has prevented a significant portion of them from being sold on the black market, potentially impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals. The operation, which followed a month-long investigation, involved the collaboration of various law enforcement agencies and resulted in the arrest of 11 men and 2 juveniles, including the crew of the vessel and individuals who were waiting to collect the shipment on land.