Biggest cocaine bust in Australian history as 2.34 tonnes of drugs seized in joint police operation

Police seized a whopping 2.34 tonnes of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $760 million, from a vessel off the coast of Queensland on Saturday.

Australian Federal Police, Queensland Police and the Australian Border Force arrested the men on the ship and several others ashore during the joint drug investigation.

The operation, dubbed Operation Tyrrendor, began in November after a tip-off that the Comanchero bikie gang was planning to smuggle drugs into the country.

Police tracked a fishing boat as it traveled out to sea to rendezvous with a mothership that is said to have a huge tanker of cocaine on board.

The boat was intercepted before returning to the Queensland coast.

It became stranded off the northeast end of K’gari due to a suspected mechanical problem.

A search of the boat revealed 51 bales containing 40kg of a white substance in individual 1kg blocks, police said.

The estimated gross weight of the suspected cocaine awaiting testing is 2.34 tons.

This makes it the largest amount of cocaine seized by the AFP.

Police made numerous arrests at sea and again ashore in Bundaberg and Brisbane.

The 11 men aged between 20 and 57 and two minors are believed to be members of the criminal group.

Police will allege one of the men arrested on Saturday was the vice president of Comanchero’s Brisbane branch.

All were charged with one count of conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs, which carries a maximum penalty of life behind bars.

The men are expected to appear in court in Brisbane today.

“We know that criminals go to extremes and often risk their own lives to smuggle drugs into Australia without regard for the harm they cause to Australian communities,” AFP Commander Stephen Jay said.

“This alleged attempt to collect more than two tons of cocaine from the ocean shows that criminals will do anything for their own greed and profit.”

Jay added: “Let these arrests serve as a warning to those criminal syndicates planning to attempt to bring illegal substances into our country, we stand together, ready to act and crack down on your criminal activities, along with our law enforcement partners.”