Australian authorities intercept over a ton of cocaine worth $400M
More than a ton of cocaine worth nearly $400 million was seized off the coast of Australia during a drug bust that ended with the arrests of five men on Friday, local authorities said.
New South Wales (NSW) Police Force investigators obtained intelligence about a suspicious purchase of a boat with a large sum of cash in late April and began following the movements of the vessel and people involved, the NSW and Australian Federal Police (AFP) said in a joint news release.
Both the NSW and AFP monitored their activities as they traveled north via Nelson Bay and Port Macquarie, according to the agencies.
When the vessel came back to shore on Friday, marine authorities launched an interception.
5 Fishermen Rescued At Sea After 55 Days Adrift In Pacific Ocean
Authorities discovered approximately 1,110 blocks of cocaine, weighing 1.039 tons, aboard the vessel. The cocaine had an estimated potential street value of nearly $400 million, according to authorities.
Read On The Fox News App
Two men, aged 24 and 26, were arrested on board the vessel. Three men – aged 28, 29 and 35 – were arrested on shore after investigators stopped two vehicles attempting to leave the area.
"Australia's vast coastline is attractive to organized crime groups, who attempt to exploit this by trying to import drugs using boats," AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Dametto said. "The bad news for them is the AFP will continue to work together with our partners to target organized crime syndicates who wrongly believe they can operate with impunity."
Bondi Announces One Of Largest Fentanyl Seizures In Us History
The two men arrested on the boat were charged with supplying a prohibited drug in a large commercial quantity, while the three men arrested on shore were charged with taking part in supplying a prohibited drug in a large commercial quantity. All five face charges of participating in a criminal group.
All five men appeared in court and were denied bail.
Investigators are working to learn more about the origin of the drugs and the group's alleged associates.Original article source: Australian authorities intercept over a ton of cocaine worth $400M
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Country singer Conner Smith involved in fatal pedestrian accident, police say
Country singer Conner Smith allegedly struck and killed a woman who was walking in a crosswalk in Nashville, authorities say. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said Smith, 24, was driving a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck on Sunday when a 77-year-old woman was crossing in the crosswalk. Police said the woman was struck around 7:30 p.m. The woman, identified as Dorothy Dobbins, was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she died. "The preliminary contributing factor for this crash appears to be Smith failing to yield the right of way to the pedestrian," Nashville police said in a statement. Police said Smith showed no signs of impairment and that there are no current charges as the investigation continues. In a statement to CBS News, Smith's attorney, Worrick G. Robinson, confirmed the incident and said Smith "continues to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation." "On June 8th, Conner Smith was involved in a car accident that tragically claimed the life of Ms. Dorothy Dobbins," Robinson said. "His heart goes out to Ms. Dobbins' family during this incredibly difficult time." This crash occurred on the final day of CMA Fest, a four-day festival that celebrates country music. Smith made an appearance at the event in Nashville the day prior. Smith, a rising country music star, was born and raised in Nashville. He is signed to Big Machine Label Group's The Valory Music Co. In 2024, Smith was nominated for New Male Artist of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards. Smith also opened for country singer Luke Bryan on tour last year. Australian reporter covering Los Angeles protests shot with rubber bullet by police officer Eye Opener: Protests erupt in more cities over ICE deportations LAPD chief speaks out about deployment of military forces to anti-ICE protests
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Man gored by bison in Yellowstone National Park after getting too close, NPS says
A man was gored by a bison in Yellowstone National Park on Tuesday after getting too close, the National Park Service said. Around 9:45 a.m. in the Upper Geyser Basin at Old Faithful, a man from Randolph, New Jersey, was gored after a large group of visitors approached the bison too closely, the NPS said in a statement. The man sustained minor injuries and was treated and transported by emergency medical personnel, officials said. The incident is under investigation. This was the second bison incident in a little over a month. A Florida man was gored by a bison in May in Yellowstone National Park after coming too close to the animal. Park officials said the man suffered minor injuries and was treated by emergency personnel. Park officials said wild animals can be aggressive if visitors don't respect their space, and visitors should never approach wildlife. It's the visitors' "responsibility to stay more than 25 yards away from all large animals — bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose and coyotes — and at least 100 yards (91 meters) away from bears, wolves and cougars," the NPS says. Bison have also gored visitors at the park last year and in 2023. After a bison attacked an 83-year-old woman from South Carolina in 2024, the park released a statement warning visitors that bison "are unpredictable and can run three times faster than humans." Bison — the largest land-dwelling animal in North America — have lived continuously in Yellowstone National Park since prehistoric times, the NPS says. The 2024 population estimate was 5,400, according to the agency. Australian reporter covering Los Angeles protests shot with rubber bullet by police officer Eye Opener: Protests erupt in more cities over ICE deportations LAPD chief speaks out about deployment of military forces to anti-ICE protests
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dozens Of Journalists Targeted, Shot, Detained While Covering LA Protests, Press Org Says
Shocking video and photos taken amid the ongoing immigration protests in Los Angeles show journalists and news crews being shot, detained and forced off public property by law enforcement, raising concerns of excessive force and First Amendment rights violations. There have been more than 30 incidents of police violence against journalists as of Tuesday, including 20 injuries, at least five of which required emergency room or urgent care visits, said Adam Rose, the press rights chair with the Los Angeles Press Club, which released a statement Monday urging an end to the targeting of journalists whose work is constitutionally protected. The list of injuries includes a freelance photojournalist requiring emergency surgery Sunday night after being shot in the leg with a three-inch piece of plastic that he believes was designed to be shot and explode above a crowd. Graphic photos shared with HuffPost show a gaping wound in Nick Stern's right thigh that he said has left him unable to walk or move without assistance. 'Why this device was shot at human, kind of, waist high level, I do not know. The people around me at that time was doing nothing more than waving Mexican flags,' he told HuffPost. Stern, who said he has three decades of experience photographing public protests, including in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the George Floyd protests in 2020, expressed concern that people may die from the excessive use of force that he witnessed and experienced firsthand. 'I never thought for one moment that I'd actually have to be fearful of law enforcement during a public protest but that seems to be where the danger to journalists comes from,' he said. Also Sunday, photographer Toby Canham said he was shot in the forehead with a rubber bullet while snapping pictures of law enforcement gathered along a highway. The British Army veteran, who was on assignment for the New York Post, photographed the projectile flying at him split seconds before it hit him in the head. He was treated for whiplash and neck pain at a local hospital Monday, the Post reported. 'It's a real shame. I completely understand being in the position where you could get injured, but at the same time, there was no justification for even aiming the rifle at me and pulling the trigger, so I'm a bit pissed off about that, to be honest,' he told the paper, while sharing photos of his bloodied head. Australian broadcast journalist Lauren Tomasi had just finished reporting live from Los Angeles' downtown area on Sunday when her news outlet, 9 News, reported that an officer turned his gun toward her and fired a rubber bullet from close range. Video shows Tomasi jumping and yelling in pain. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs immediately joined in on condemning the shooting, stating 'that all journalists should be able to do their work safely.' CNN's Jason Carroll was also reporting live from the scene on Monday when cameras captured him being detained by officers with his hands bound behind his back. Another video posted by reporter Sergio Olmos shows Carroll and a videographer being violently shoved by police while they're standing along a sidewalk. Similar videos posted on social media show journalists being shoved, shot and pushed out of public areas despite audibly identifying themselves as members of the press. The LA Press Club joined several press freedom organizations Monday expressing concern to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that federal officers are violating journalists' First Amendment rights while they cover the protests. 'In some cases, federal officers appear to have deliberately targeted journalists who were doing nothing more than their job covering the news,' a letter addressed to Noem by the organizations states. 'Under the First Amendment, journalists who are merely reporting on events and not interfering with federal operations cannot be subject to general dispersal orders and 'cannot be punished for the violent acts of others,' and the 'proper response' to any unlawful conduct is 'to arrest those who actually engage in such conduct, rather than to suppress legitimate First Amendment conduct as a prophylactic measure,'' the letter continues. Rose told HuffPost they have not received a response from DOH as of Tuesday. Noem's office also did not immediately respond to HuffPost's request for comment. Trump Sets National Guard On Los Angeles As Protesters Counter Immigration Raids: Live Updates CNN Journalist Reports On Being 'Detained' By Police As It Happens Reporter Gets Hit By Rubber Bullet At LA Protest, Sparking Shock Allegation FBI Puts LA Protester On 'Most Wanted' List As Government Threatens Crackdown
