More than a ton of cocaine was seized in Australia on Thursday, leading to several arrests in what police are calling Australia's largest drug bust ever.
The cocaine seized by Australian officials was worth about 360 million Australian dollars ($260 million), according to The Associated Press.
“The size of that seizure collectively makes it the largest cocaine seizure in Australian law enforcement history,” Australian Federal Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Chris Sheehan told reporters, according to The Washington Post. “The criminal syndicate we have dismantled over the last few days was a robust, resilient and determined syndicate.”
New South Wales police said 15 were arrested in the incident, which comes more than two years after the start of a “federal and state police investigation into suspected drug trafficking by commercial fishermen in Sydney,” AP noted.
According to the Post, the men “have been charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs.” If convicted, they could face up to life in prison.
In March, officials seized 1,300 pounds of cocaine in Tahiti, which was on its way to Australia.
On Sunday, police seized 1,100 pounds of cocaine on a boat in the town of Brooklyn, which is located near Sydney.
Police think the drugs are from South America.
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