SNOW OUT TO SEA
Two arrested after $200 million worth of cocaine is seized in our seas
TWO men tried to sail into northern NSW with $202 million worth of cocaine in a glorified dinghy, police allege.
Hulking rugby union player Dru Baggaley, 36 – the brother of Olympic kayaker Nathan Baggaley – and boatie Anthony Draper, 53, have been accused of importing more than 600kg of the drug in an inflatable six-metre boat.
Police claim an Australian Border Force aircraft spotted them during a routine patrol on Tuesday morning.
TWO men tried to sail into northern NSW with $202 million worth of cocaine in a glorified dinghy this week, police allege.
Hulking rugby union player Dru Baggaley, 36, and boatie Anthony Draper, 53, have been accused of importing more than 600kg of the drug in an inflatable sixmetre boat.
Police claim an Australian Border Force aircraft spotted them during a routine patrol on Tuesday morning.
As Australian Defence Vessel Cape Fourcroy approached soon after, the two men allegedly started throwing millions of dollars worth of contraband overboard.
“As Cape Fourcroy approached the vessel it evaded at high speed, jettisoning items overboard,” said Commanding Officer of the vessel Lieutenant Commander Ken Brown yesterday.
Rather than chasing the boat, Lt Cmdr Brown was told to focus on collecting evidence.
After dumping the drugs overboard, Baggaley and Draper fled, making it within 75km of Brunswick Heads be-
fore they were caught by Queensland police, it will be alleged.
“With the support of continued aerial surveillance by aircraft assigned, I understand the craft was intercepted by specialist members of the Queensland Police Service more than 40 nautical miles east of Brunswick Heads,” Lt Cmdr Brown said at a media conference.
Baggaley and Draper were arrested and taken to Southport. They appeared briefly in the Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning charged with possessing a commercial quantity of drugs and drug importation.
Both were remanded in custody to reappear in the same court on August 20.
Detective Superintendent Andrew Donoghoe of the Australian Federal Police said the two men were facing life in prison and police alleged the bust took the equivalent of three million hits off the streets. “Importantly, our joint efforts have stopped more than 600kg of cocaine from ever reaching our shores,” Det Insp Donoghoe said.
“That represents approximately three-million street hits that will never take place that has an approximate value of $202 million, profits that criminals and the syndicate involved will never get their hands on.”
Det Supt Donoghoe said the investigation would continue and he would not rule out further arrests.
Authorities would not say whether the boat was on its way back from collecting the drugs from a larger “mother ship”, or where the drugs came from.
Australian Border Force Regional Commander Terry Price said his organisation had “significant resources” to counter illegal activity.
“The ABF is absolutely committed to protecting the Australian community from the tremendous harm of illicit substances and we’ll continue to use all the resources at our disposal to counter illegal activity such as these,” Cmdr Price said.