Australia’s Largest Drug Bust In History Off Queensland Coast, Worth A $760 Million, 13 People Arrested
Australian authorities seized a record 2.34 tons of cocaine off the Queensland coast, worth about A$760 million, and arrested 13 people.
The operation is the largest cocaine seizure in Australian history, investigated jointly by the Australian Federal Police and the Queensland Police.
The suspects, including two minors and 11 men, are alleged to be members of a transnational gang with links to the illegal Comanchero motorcycle gang.
They are charged with conspiracy to import commercial quantities of border-controlled drugs, an offense punishable by up to life imprisonment.
The investigation, called Operation Trondur, began in November 2024 after intelligence uncovered a plan to smuggle cocaine at sea. Authorities tracked down a recreational fishing vessel that appeared to have met a larger “mother ship” at sea to pick up the drugs.
However, the plot was uncovered when the boat suffered a mechanical failure about 18 kilometers off the northeastern tip of Calgary Island (Fraser Island).
Police immediately intervened and made several arrests at sea near Bundaberg and Brisbane. On the stranded boat, agents found 51 packages of cocaine, each containing about 40 kilograms of cocaine, in 1-kilogram blocks.
Queensland police arrested two men aged 43 and 44 near the Strathdys boat ramp on Saturday night. Shortly afterward, Australian Federal Police boarded the disabled vessel and arrested two crew members aged 35 and 57.
Meanwhile, other people were arrested at the scene, including three men arrested near a fast food restaurant in Bundaberg and others arrested during a traffic stop.
In Brisbane, police raided a house in Victoria Point and arrested a 51-year-old man. All suspects are Australian citizens and are due to appear in various courts today.
Australian Armed Forces Commander Stephen Jay reviewed the activities of criminals smuggling drugs into Australia. He said: “This alleged attempt to collect more than two tons of cocaine from the ocean shows that criminals will stop at nothing for greed and profit.”
He spoke of the risks involved in these operations, adding: “Anyone attempting to trade at sea risks not only their freedom, but their life.”
Acting Queensland Police Commissioner Craig Morrow praised the collaboration between agencies.
The Australian Federal Police seized more than 31 tons of illegal drugs in the 2023/24 financial year. Commander Guy said Australia remained a major target for drug traffickers due to its lucrative market but warned them: “We are ready to take action to disrupt their criminal activities.”
