Norfolk Island police say nothing untoward suspected after package washes ashore
A package with barnacles growing on it, believed to hold about 40 kilograms worth of cocaine, has washed up on a Norfolk Island beach
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Norfolk Island locals are shocked after a 40-kilogram package - believed to contain cocaine - washed up on one of their beaches.
It was found by tourists on Tuesday afternoon at Anson Bay.
Sergeant Mark Watson, the officer in charge of Norfolk Island Police Force, said
the barnacle-covered package
has generated quite a bit of community interest.
"It appeared to contain smaller packages - so about 40 packages inside, which we believe to be cocaine and we believe it's about 40 kilograms' worth," he said.
Norfolk is home to just over 2000 people, sitting between New Zealand and Australia in the South Pacific.
Watson had been living on the island for years and said it's the first time he had seen anything like this.
"We believe it's washed up. We don't believe there's anything untoward from Norfolk Island but investigations are continuing."
He said he hadn't heard of Norfolk being used to traffic drugs to Australia.
Local resident Rael Donde was just as surprised.
"As far as I'm aware this has never happened before, so we're pretty shocked about this," he said.
Like Sergeant Watson, she did not think Norfolk is being used as a drug transit point.
"There's barnacles growing on the netting around the drugs so it seems like this was a random situation - it just happened to wash up on Norfolk Island as opposed to Australia or the New Zealand mainland."
Another local, Brett Sanderson said the community is shocked.
"This is stuff you see on TV that happens somewhere else, or you know maybe there's a drug bust in Australia's waters, a trawler or something is intercepted, but it always happens somewhere else."
He also doesn't think the island is being used for transhipping drugs.
"We're eight by five kilometres, so there are not a lot of secrets here."
Sanderson, who owns a jewellery store on the island, said he first heard of the possibility of drugs on the island through tourists who visited his shop.
"When these things happen, you're never quite sure whether it's just some crazy rumour that's spreading the island like Chinese whispers, or whether it's actually true."
A spokesperson for the Australian Federal Police said investigations into the source of the drugs are continuing, including liaising with international partners.
The Norfolk Island Police Force are asking the community to report any further sightings of suspicious packages but not to handle them.
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