Latest news with #NewSouthWalesPoliceForce
The Star
22-05-2025
- Climate
- The Star
Massive floods strand over 50,000 in eastern Australia
This frame grab from a handout video footage taken between May 21 and 22, 2025 and released on May 22, 2025 by the New South Wales Police Force shows a police helicopter rescue in flooded areas near the NSW town of Taree. - AFP SYDNEY: Rising floodwaters stranded more than 50,000 people in eastern Australia on Thursday (May 22), as torrential rain pummelled water-logged towns for a second day and engorged rivers swallowed roads, leaving two dead. Police have pulled two bodies from floodwaters on the Mid North Coast, a river-braided region of rugged hills and fertile valleys about 400km north of Sydney. Authorities launched a major search and rescue mission as people clambered atop cars, houses and highway bridges to escape the tide of muddy water. The storms have in some areas dumped more than half a year's worth of rain over just three days, the government weather bureau said. "I must also say that we're bracing for more bad news in the next 24 hours. This natural disaster has been terrible for this community," New South Wales (NSW) state premier Chris Minns told reporters on Thursday. The town of Kempsey -- a farming hub on the banks of the Macleay River -- had been cut off with little warning, Mayor Kinne Ring told AFP. "You often think of rain on tin roof as relaxing, but at the moment it is deafening and horrible," Ring said. "The downpours are torrential and every time it rains, you wonder what is going to happen next." Ring said more than 20,000 people were isolated in her local government area alone. About 140km south in the town of Taree, business owner Jeremy Thornton said the "gut-wrenching" flood was among the worst he had seen. "It is pretty tough, we've had a few moments but you have to suck it up and push on," he told AFP. "We are reliving it every second -- hearing the rain, hearing the helicopters, hearing the siren." Authorities said more than 50,000 people were cut off with some rivers still to reach peak levels late on Thursday. An elderly couple climbed on to the roof of their car to escape a fast-rising flash flood before a rescue helicopter winched them to safety, NSW police in Taree said in a statement. Others sought sanctuary on a raised highway bridge before they were spotted and rescued by a navy Seahawk chopper. Locals spotted dead cows washing up on beaches after swollen rivers swept them from their pastures inland. The government has declared the emergency a natural disaster, unlocking greater resources for impacted areas. Police said they were still searching for two people reported missing. From the arid outback to the tropical coast, swaths of Australia have recently been pummelled by wild weather. The oceans surrounding Australia have been "abnormally warm" in recent months, according to the weather bureau. Warmer seas evaporate more moisture into the atmosphere, which can eventually lead to more intense rains. Although difficult to link to specific disasters, scientists warn that climate change is already fuelling more extreme weather patterns. "I don't think there is a question that climate change is having a significant impact on weather events right across the world," emergency management minister Kristy McBain told reporters. "In Australia, we're not immune to that. We're seeing more devastating events like this happen more frequently." About 2,500 emergency workers have been deployed to the region, alongside rescue boats, a fleet of helicopters and hundreds of search drones. "We aren't over the worst of it yet," McBain said. Bureau of Meteorology spokesman Steve Bernasconi said some towns had recorded more than half a metre (1.6 feet) of rain in the space of three days. But he said rain was expected to slowly taper off late Thursday night when the weather system moved south. - AFP
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man Allegedly Tries to Climb Aboard Docked Cruise Ship Using Mooring Ropes
A 29-year-old man was arrested and charged after climbing onto a cruise ship in Australia He was charged with three offenses and is due in court next month The person's identity was not publicly revealedA man was arrested in Sydney, Australia, over the weekend after video footage showed him allegedly attempting to climb a docked cruise ship using mooring ropes. In a statement to PEOPLE, the New South Wales Police Force did not identify the 29-year-old individual, but confirmed the incident happened at the overseas passenger terminal at The Rocks about 3 p.m. local time on Saturday, May 17. Video obtained by 9 News Sydney showed the man dangling from the vessel in broad daylight as onlookers walked by. The boat was the Carnival Adventure cruise ship at Circular Quay, 9 News reports. 'Tom notgoingtocruise,' one person quipped in the comment section. Another added, 'A normal day in Sydney.' However, the situation was no laughing matter for the police. When police arrived, they found the man "suspended over the water from the mooring line." After the line was lowered into a police boat, the man was taken to Day Street Police Station. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. According to New South Wales police, the man was charged with three offenses: entering a cleared zone when not screened and cleared; entering a land-side restricted zone when not authorized; and entering a water-side restricted zone when not authorized. Carnival declined to comment on the situation as it was a "law enforcement matter." Authorities did not share a motive for the man's actions. He was granted conditional bail and is scheduled to appear in Downing Centre Local Court on June 11. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man Allegedly Tries to Climb Aboard Docked Cruise Ship Using Mooring Ropes
A 29-year-old man was arrested and charged after climbing onto a cruise ship in Australia He was charged with three offenses and is due in court next month The person's identity was not publicly revealedA man was arrested in Sydney, Australia, over the weekend after video footage showed him allegedly attempting to climb a docked cruise ship using mooring ropes. In a statement to PEOPLE, the New South Wales Police Force did not identify the 29-year-old individual, but confirmed the incident happened at the overseas passenger terminal at The Rocks about 3 p.m. local time on Saturday, May 17. Video obtained by 9 News Sydney showed the man dangling from the vessel in broad daylight as onlookers walked by. The boat was the Carnival Adventure cruise ship at Circular Quay, 9 News reports. 'Tom notgoingtocruise,' one person quipped in the comment section. Another added, 'A normal day in Sydney.' However, the situation was no laughing matter for the police. When police arrived, they found the man "suspended over the water from the mooring line." After the line was lowered into a police boat, the man was taken to Day Street Police Station. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. According to New South Wales police, the man was charged with three offenses: entering a cleared zone when not screened and cleared; entering a land-side restricted zone when not authorized; and entering a water-side restricted zone when not authorized. Carnival declined to comment on the situation as it was a "law enforcement matter." Authorities did not share a motive for the man's actions. He was granted conditional bail and is scheduled to appear in Downing Centre Local Court on June 11. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
Watch: Man arrested after allegedly trying to climb onto cruise ship in Sydney
A man was arrested after allegedly trying to climb onto a cruise ship over the weekend. Law enforcement responded to reports of the incident at the overseas passenger terminal at The Rocks, a historic area in Sydney, Australia, around 3 p.m. local time on May 17, according to the New South Wales Police Force. 'On arrival, officers attached to Marine Area Command found the man suspended over the water from the mooring line,' police told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. The 29-year-old was arrested after the line was lowered onto a police boat. He is charged with entering a 'cleared zone when not screened and cleared' and entering restricted land-side and water-side zones without authorization, police said. Authorities did not name the suspect. Video footage published by 9 News Sydney appears to show the man hanging onto one rope with his foot on another between the port and the Carnival Adventure ship while people look on. The ship – formerly Pacific Adventure – joined the Carnival Cruise Line fleet after parent company Carnival Corp. folded P&O Cruises Australia into the brand in March. Carnival referred USA TODAY's request for comment to police. Police declined to confirm the ship's name. Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Man arrested after allegedly trying to climb on Carnival cruise ship
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Over a ton of cocaine worth nearly half a billion dollars seized off Australian coast
Over a ton of cocaine worth close to nearly half a billion dollars has been seized from a boat off the coast of Australia, officials have confirmed. Detectives from the Organised Crime Squad in Australia have charged five people following the seizure of the drugs from a vessel off the New South Wales coast after police there obtained potential intelligence to the drugs following a 'suspicious purchase' of a 43-foot-long motor cruiser paid for by just cash in Sydney's Sutherland Shire on April 28, according to a joint statement from the New South Wales Police Force and the Australian Federal Police (AFP). MORE: 3 climbers dead after falling off mountain while rappelling 'On Friday (9 May 2025), as the vessel travelled back to shore - towards South West Rocks - it was intercepted by the Marine Area Command about 9.30am.,' the statement said. 'Two men, aged 24 and 26, were arrested on board and escorted to shore by the police vessel. They were taken to Coffs Harbour Police Station.' Approximately 1,110 blocks of cocaine, weighing 1.039 tons were located on the vessel, police confirmed. MORE: Woman arrested after raccoon named Chewy found with meth pipe in driver's seat during police stop 'The seized cocaine equates to over a million individual hits, with an estimated potential street value of $623.4 million,' (more than $400 million U.S. dollars) police said. Three other people – aged 28, 29 and 35 - were simultaneously arrested on shore after investigators stopped two vehicles attempting to leave the South West Rocks area and they were taken to Taree Police Station. MORE: Parents arrested after their 1-year-old tests positive for fentanyl and THC MORE: Sheila the runaway kangaroo causes car crash, shuts down Alabama highway Forensic specialists are currently examining the seized drugs and will be conducting further testing to determine the exact weight and purity of the drugs. 'The two men at Coffs Harbour were charged with supply prohibited drug - large commercial quantity and participate in criminal group,' Australian officials said. 'The three men at Taree were charged with take part in supply prohibited drug - large commercial quantity and participate in criminal group.' MORE: Funeral director trashed over 6,500 bodies of pets, used fake ashes to defraud customers out of $650,000: Officials All five of the suspects appeared at Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday where they were all formally refused bail and mandated to appear at Coffs Harbour Local Court on July 15, authorities said. 'The AFP and NSW Police Force have a long history of disrupting criminal networks attempting to import drugs that destroy our community. Combining our resources and expertise allows us to get successful outcomes like the one we are announcing today,' AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Dametto said. 'Australia's vast coastline is attractive to organised crime groups, who attempt to exploit this by trying to import drugs using boats. The bad news for them is the AFP will continue to work together with our partners to target organised crime syndicates who wrongly believe they can operate with impunity. NSW Police State Crime Commander, Acting Assistant Commissioner Jason Weinstein said these arrests are testament to how rapidly our policing resources can coordinate and stop significant amounts of drug coming into NSW. MORE: 13-year-old girl dead after 25-foot fall through attic floor at her after-school program 'Whether on land or sea, NSW Police have the investigative capability to disrupt and undermine criminal enterprise,' Weinstein said. "This seizure shows how our continuous monitoring of known organised crime methodologies with industry partners, can be actioned into a successful multi-agency operation with those involved immediately arrested to prevent illicit drugs entering NSW. Our ability to pivot and protect the community is evident in this week's actions. Make no mistake these drugs, if allowed to enter our communities, would have had devastating impacts on people's lives and social cohesion, particularly in regional townships.' Investigations into the origin of the drugs and the group's alleged associates remain ongoing. Over a ton of cocaine worth nearly half a billion dollars seized off Australian coast originally appeared on
