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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The purchase of a $500,000 fishing boat in Sydney’s south has allegedly led to the seizure of more than one tonne of cocaine on the NSW Mid-North Coast in a police operation targeting an alleged organised crime group.
When a 13-metre Sea Ray cruiser was purchased in the Sutherland Shire in late-April it allegedly caught the attention of the NSW Police Organised Crime Squad.
Detectives, with assistance from the NSW Crime Commission and the Australian Federal Police, patiently watched the boats movements over the following weeks 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, both of whom were 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, when lawyers, including Abdul Tlais and Mahmoud Abbas, told the court their clients would not be making release applications.
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 the next day at South West Rocks, 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 northwesterly 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, when they will apply for bail.
Thipsing, Hollingworth and Malcolm will face the same court on July 15.
On Sunday, NSW Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Jason Weinstein revealed the “suspicious” purchase of the 13m Sea Ray motor cruiser boat, worth about $500,000, was what kick-started the investigation.
Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Dametto said police would allege it was a “sophisticated criminal plot to import more than one tonne of cocaine into Australia”.
He said police were able to stop “a huge amount of drugs from entering our communities and causing immeasurable harm”.
“(It) shows the length organised crime will go to for their own greed and profit,” he said.
Investigations remain ongoing, with the AFP not ruling 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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