Federal police say a man arrested for allegedly bringing 200 kilograms of cocaine to shore near the Queensland-New South Wales board via catamaran was part of international syndicate’s plot to bring the drug into Australia.
The 41-year-old from Tweed Heads was arrested on Thursday last week by officers from the Gold Coast Joint Taskforce after they intercepted the sailboat when it entered the mouth of the Tweed River.
Police have alleged the boat left the Tweed on Tuesday, April 14, and sailed north before its transponder was turned off.
The transponder was turned back on again after the man had collected the drugs at sea, police alleged.
Forensic investigators allegedly found the drugs and $100,000 cash in black duffel bags on board.
The man was denied bail on Friday, and is next expected in court in June.
Police have not ruled out further arrests.
“The AFP’s strong relationships with domestic and international partners ensure that we continue to deliver maximum impact on transnational criminal syndicates targeting Australia,” Detective Inspector Steven Wiggins said.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
