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Record stash of cocaine found buried underground in Australia
CBS News • • general
Key Points:
- Australian police seized a record 3 tons of cocaine hidden in plastic tubs buried underground near Sydney, marking the largest cocaine haul in Australian history.
- Authorities allege a Sydney-based organized crime group coordinated the importation, with the cocaine initially offloaded from a foreign vessel in northern Queensland.
- The cocaine's estimated street value exceeds Aus$800 million ($560 million), and two men were arrested at the Sydney site, facing charges that carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
- An associated mother vessel, the MV Wealth, has been detained in the Solomon Islands for investigation, highlighting the use of Pacific Island states as transit points for drug trafficking to Australia and New Zealand.
- This seizure follows several major drug busts in Australia amid a 28% surge in cocaine-related deaths in 2024, underscoring ongoing challenges with organized drug trafficking networks.
