In the largest-ever drug bust in Australia, police on Saturday provided details of an operation that resulted in the seizure of $1 billion worth of cocaine.
On "Operation Beech," which resulted in the detention of 12 people reportedly connected to the Mexican drug gang, Western Australia Commissioner Col. Blanch stated.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Blanch stated that there was a chance to catch the syndicate—the group of people who were able to receive it, land it, and then distribute it throughout Australia.In November, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration found 2.4 tonnes of cocaine off the coast of South America. Drug smugglers were ignorant of the seizure, despite the fact that the drugs were intended for Western Australia.
Instead, to entice the drug dealers, cops imitated bogus shipments.
Blanch told reporters, "Over the course of several weeks, our officers from the [AFP] Transnational, Severe and Organized Crime squad and other officers assisted to reconstruct those similar parcels and dump 1.2 tonnes of those drugs into the water, 40 miles off the shore of Joondalup.
Police observed two boats bringing the contraband ashore in late December. 12 persons were subsequently detained in connection with the boats' seizure.
The DEA's cooperation, according to Western Australia Police Deputy Commissioner Tony Longhorn, was essential to the success of the seizures.
Every time we carry out these surgeries, we challenge the boundaries of our ability, he added, adding that it gives him more confidence.
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