Five arrested after more than a tonne cocaine seized off Nambucca Heads
Dramatic vision shows police raids which, officers will allege uncovered 1.1 tonnes of cocaine on-board a fishing boat off the NSW coast. Five people have been charged in relation to the raids. Watch the video.
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More than one tonne of cocaine was seized from a fishing boat on the NSW mid North Coast in a police operation targeting an alleged organised crime group.
Investigators patiently watched the 13m Sea Ray cruiser for six days before pouncing on its crew as it was heading towards the port at South West Rocks at 9.40am on Friday.
On-board, police will allege they found 1.1 tonnes of cocaine that was divided into 1036 blocks — with some stamped with Louis Vuitton branding — and hidden throughout the vessel.
Also aboard the boat was Cooper Hollingworth, 24, from Cardiff and Jacob Malcolm, 26, from Merewether who were both charged with large commercial drug supply.
According to a police fact sheet, “Malcolm was located in a wetsuit and Hollingworth was soaking wet as if having been in water.”
Police will allege the two men were the “catching crew” for the operation that was responsible for the transportation of the drugs using the vessel.
The other members of the operation were allegedly the “onshore co-ordinators”.
They included Chaiwat Thipsing, 28, Luke Hazell, 28 and Rodney James Hill, 35, who were all charged with knowingly taking part in the large commercial supply of cocaine.
The three men were also charged over the operation with drug supply offences.
All five men faced Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday where lawyers, who included Abdul Tlais and Mahmoud Abbas, told the court their clients would not be making a release application.
According to the police documents, the men were charged by officers working under Strike Force Blaine, which was established to investigate large scale cocaine supply.
On April 28, one of the group allegedly purchased the Sea Ray cruiser for an unknown amount at Burraneer Bay Marina Yacht Sales, the document said.
The next day it entered the d’Albora Marina wharf at Nelson Bay where police allege Hollingworth and Malcolm were captured on CCTV retrieving spearfishing gear, food, supplies and eight red jerry cans believed to be carrying fuel.
By May 3, investigators had tracked Hollingworth’s phone to Port Macquarie.
Surveillance police located the boat anchored on the Hastings River before following it to the d’Albora Marina in Port Macquarie.
On May 7, the boat exited Port Macquarie Harbour with surveillance officers not far behind.
It arrived at South West Rocks the next day where another 20 jerry cans were loaded on board, the document said.
At 3.20am on May 9, police watched as the vessel travelled out to sea in a north westerly direction.
When it returned about six hours later, police moved in, made their arrests and seized the drugs, the document said.
Hill and Hazell will face Coffs Harbour Local Court on Wednesday where they will apply for bail.
Thipsing, Hollingworth and Malcolm will face the same court on July 15.
On Sunday, the NSW Police and Australian Federal Police revealed that a suspicious purchase is what started their investigations which resulted in a 1.1 tonne cocaine bust.
The purchase of the 13m Sea Ray motor cruiser boat worth about half a million dollars, and alerted police to a “suspicious transaction”, NSW Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Jason Weinstein said.
AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Dametto said police would allege it was a “sophisticated criminal plot to import more than one tone of cocaine into Australia”.
Police were able to stop “a huge amount of drugs from entering our communities and causing immeasurable harm”, Assistant Commissioner Dametto said.
“(It) shows the length organised crime will go to for their own greed and profit.”
AFP investigations remain ongoing and they cannot rule out further arrests.
Police said the person who sold the men the boat was not involved.
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Originally published as Five arrested after more than a tonne cocaine seized off Nambucca Heads
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