Australian police seize $186 million worth of cocaine on yacht

Ben185/iStock/Thinkstock(NEW SOUTH WALES, Australia) — More than 1,500 pounds of cocaine, worth an estimated $186 million, were seized from a yacht in the state of New South Wales, Australian police said.

Three men were also arrested in Australia as part of a multi-agency investigation into drug trafficking, according to the Australian Federal Police.

Investigators tracked the yacht as it traveled from the South Pacific bound for New South Wales. When it reached Lake Macquarie, in New South Wales, authorities boarded the vessel and arrested a 68-year-old man, police said.

A 47-year-old man was taken into custody at a hotel in the nearby Warners Bay area of Lake Macquarie, and a third man, 63 years old, was arrested at a home in nearby Islington, according to police.

When police boarded the vessel, they found “a large commercial quantity of cocaine concealed within the hull” — believed to amount to 1,543 lbs. of cocaine with an estimated potential street value of $186 million, police said.

Forensic officers are continuing to take apart the boat, as well as examine and test the cocaine, according to police

Copyright © 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
LinkedIn
Share on email
Email
Share on print
Print