Mexican drug syndicate bust on Aussie shore
AUSTRALIA – Twelve people have been arrested after an international operation prevented $1 billion worth of cocaine from entering the country as part of a Mexican drug cartel.
Operation Beech, a joint effort between WA Police Transnational Serious and Organised Crime Squad, the Sydney Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration and other policing jurisdictions, commenced in November after the discovery of 2.4 tonnes of cocaine destined for Australia.
The shipment was located off the South American coastline, but intelligence suggested drug traffickers were unaware of the seizure, believing the drugs were on track to their destination.
Knowing the Australian end of the syndicate would be preparing to receive the drugs on December 28, WA Police substituted the cargo using an inert substance and identical packaging to that used by the cartel.
The covert operation saw Police drop the fake shipment about 40 nautical miles west of Perth, where a shore party allegedly made multiple efforts to locate and retrieve it.
Police will allege that the syndicate’s Australian shore counterparts made three trips out to sea in uncomfortable conditions unable to find the cargo between December 28 -30.
On December 30, officers from the Tactical Response Group arrested three members who were in possession of 1.2 tonnes of the inert substance after their boat had steering issues and washed up on the beach.
Photo: Screenshot / Western Australia Police Facebook via RNZ
Police will further allege that other members of the syndicate retrieved the boat from its location and transferred the inert substances to their own vessel.