In a major victory against transnational drug trafficking, five men have been charged after NSW Police and federal authorities seized more than a tonne of cocaine—worth an estimated $623.4 million—on a vessel intercepted off the New South Wales coast near South West Rocks.
The bust, part of a complex, multi-agency operation under Strike Force Blaine, followed weeks of surveillance sparked by a suspicious cash purchase of a 13-metre motor cruiser in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire on 28 April 2025.
AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Dametto said the joint operation showcased how pooling resources across agencies leads to real results.
“The AFP and NSW Police Force have a long history of disrupting criminal networks attempting to import drugs that destroy our community,” he said.
“The bad news for them is we’ll continue working together to target organised crime syndicates who wrongly believe they can operate with impunity.”
He warned of the dangers and futility of maritime drug trafficking:
“Importation of drugs via the sea is inherently dangerous. Criminals using this smuggling method risk both their freedom and their lives.”
According to police, detectives from the State Crime Command’s Organised Crime Squad, in collaboration with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and NSW Crime Commission, quickly zeroed in on the vessel and its suspected links to drug supply and money laundering.
Officers monitored the boat as it travelled north through Nelson Bay and Port Macquarie before it was intercepted at sea around 9:30am on Friday, 9 May 2025, while heading back to shore near South West Rocks.
Two men, aged 24 and 26, were arrested on board and taken to Coffs Harbour Police Station. Officers allegedly discovered 1,110 blocks of cocaine—totalling 1.039 tonnes—hidden aboard. Police say the haul represents over a million individual hits of cocaine.
Simultaneously, three more suspects—aged 28, 29 and 35—were arrested on land after officers intercepted two vehicles attempting to flee the South West Rocks area. They were taken to Taree Police Station.
Strike Force detectives and the AFP later executed multiple search warrants across the Newcastle suburbs of Beresfield, Edgeworth, Belmont North and Cardiff South, seizing electronic devices, documents, and clothing. Another warrant at a Catherine Hill Bay home yielded communications devices and cash.
NSW Police State Crime Commander, Acting Assistant Commissioner Jason Weinstein, praised the swift and coordinated response of law enforcement.
“Whether on land or sea, NSW Police have the investigative capability to disrupt and undermine criminal enterprise,” he said.
“This seizure shows how our continuous monitoring of known organised crime methodologies—alongside industry partners—can be rapidly turned into a successful multi-agency operation.”
“These drugs, if allowed into our communities, would have had devastating impacts, particularly in regional townships. Our ability to pivot and protect the community is evident in this week’s actions,” he added.
The two men arrested on the vessel were charged with supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug and participating in a criminal group. The three men detained on shore face similar charges. All five were refused bail in Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday and will appear in Coffs Harbour Local Court on 15 July.
Investigations into the source of the drugs and other possible associates of the group remain ongoing.
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