Australian authorities announce the country’s largest cocaine seizure to date, intercepting 2.3 tons of the drug off the Queensland coast on November 29, 2024. Police arrested 13 suspects, including two minors, following a month-long investigation into the alleged operation. The confiscated cocaine, smuggled aboard a fishing vessel from South America, holds an estimated street value of 760 million Australian dollars (494 million USD).
The arrests occurred both at sea and onshore as suspects attempted to collect the shipment from the disabled fishing boat. Police Commander Stephen Jay credits the bust to intelligence linked to the Comancheros, a notorious motorcycle gang. According to officials, the smugglers made two prior unsuccessful attempts to transport the drugs from a “mothership” stationed in international waters. The suspects now face charges of conspiring to import drugs by sea, carrying a potential life sentence.
Australia’s demand for cocaine, the highest per capita globally, makes it an attractive market for international drug cartels. High street prices—up to 370,000 AUD (241,000 USD) per kilogram—fuel the lucrative trade, drawing sophisticated trafficking operations to its shores.
This historic seizure is part of a broader global effort to disrupt drug smuggling. In the same week, Colombian authorities intercepted six “narco subs” carrying cocaine, with one vessel destined for Australia. These semi-submersible crafts can travel up to 10,000 miles without refueling, signifying a shift in trafficking routes across the Pacific to reach high-demand markets like Oceania. The operation is part of “Operation Orion,” a multinational anti-narcotics initiative involving 62 countries. In total, the operation seized 1,400 metric tons of drugs, including 225 tons of cocaine and 128 tons of marijuana.
Colombian officials highlight the evolution of drug cartels into global networks. They collaborate across continents, exploiting sophisticated technologies and smuggling routes to target lucrative markets in Europe, the U.S., and Oceania. The Colombian military emphasizes that narco subs, first deployed in the 1990s, remain integral to cartel operations, allowing the transportation of large quantities of drugs efficiently.
Australia’s unprecedented bust and Colombia’s successful crackdown reveal the growing scale and ingenuity of the global drug trade. Authorities on both continents stress the importance of international collaboration to combat organized crime and protect communities from the far-reaching impacts of the illicit drug market.
