A Perth man accused of helping to retrieve a massive cocaine shipment dumped at sea off Western Australia is due to face court today, as police warn organised crime syndicates remain relentless in their efforts to profit from illicit drugs.
The 44-year-old, from Myaree, appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Saturday after being arrested on Friday at Mariginiup by the Western Australia Joint Organised Crime Taskforce. He is the sixth person charged since more than 525 kilograms of cocaine was discovered floating in the ocean north of Perth last November.
Investigators say the drugs were found tied to flotation drums about 30 kilometres off Lancelin on November 6, after members of the public made the discovery. Police allege the cocaine had been dropped into the water days earlier, overnight on October 31, from an international livestock vessel travelling towards Fremantle Harbour.
According to police, the Myaree man was part of a group that made several trips out to sea from Two Rocks Marina in early November in an attempt to retrieve the drugs. It is alleged he and another Perth man, aged 52, went out on a small boat on November 2 after discussing their plans via an encrypted messaging app.
The vessel’s chief officer, a 46-year-old Croatian national, has already been charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug. The 52-year-old Perth man and three Sydney men aged 19, 22 and 36 have also been charged for their alleged roles, and all five remain before the courts.
Police have charged the Myaree man with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of unlawfully imported cocaine, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
If the haul had not been intercepted, authorities estimate the 525 kilograms of cocaine could have been broken down into about 2.6 million street deals, generating roughly $170 million for those involved.
WA Joint Organised Crime Taskforce Detective Inspector Matt Taylor said authorities were determined to identify everyone linked to the alleged plot, warning that drug trafficking causes widespread harm to the community.
“Greedy organised crime syndicates are relentless in their attempts to smuggle illicit commodities into Australia, but Commonwealth and state law enforcement and intelligence agencies are dedicated to stopping them profiting at our community’s expense,” Det Insp Taylor said.
He said the impact of drugs extended well beyond criminal profits, adding that cocaine use alone led to 985 hospitalisations nationally in 2022–23 — more than two every day on average.
“This investigation remains ongoing and further arrests have not been ruled out,” he said.
The taskforce brings together Australian Federal Police, Western Australia Police Force, Australian Border Force, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and AUSTRAC to target serious organised crime in Western Australia and across the country.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers Australia on 1800 333 000.
Support our Journalism
No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.
