Boat filled with cocaine found at Peaceful Bay a week after three men rescued from sea
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How a cocaine bust unfolded in a sleepy Australian seaside town after three men were rescued from a floating esky
- They find a boat allegedly full of cocaine
- The discovery came after three men were stranded at sea.
An abandoned boat filled with cocaine has been found just weeks after three men were found stranded at sea after their boat capsized.
Three fishermen were found floating in an esky off the coast of Albany, in the far south of Western Australia, on February 1.
His boat had capsized and authorities believed it had sunk to the bottom of the ocean.
A week later, the abandoned boat was found with an alleged 800 pounds on board, making it one of the largest cocaine seizures in the state.
Three fishermen were found floating in an esky off the coast of Albany, in the far south of Western Australia, on February 1.
A week later, the abandoned boat was found with an alleged 800 pounds on board, making it one of the largest cocaine seizures in the state.
One of the men, Aristides Avlontis, 36, was arrested and charged while a search was launched for the remaining couple, Mate Stipinovich and Karl Whitburn.
An abalone diver, who asked to remain anonymous, said he had seen the bow of the vessel more than 100 kilometers west of where the vessel was believed to have capsized.
The discovery came a week after the three men were pulled from the water and after a failed attempt by the Australian Federal Police to locate the vessel. abc informed.
The abalone diver said he had noticed something bobbing in the water and it wasn’t until he got close to it that he realized it was the boat.
“The ship was pretty mangled, there were bits and pieces hanging everywhere, like wires and the radio,” he said.
Volunteer Marine Rescue WA then towed the boat back to shore at Peaceful Bay before police arrived on the beach.
The town has a population of 70 and the area is filled with vacation shacks owned by farmers who visit the area to get away.
Some 365 kg of cocaine were allegedly found on board and police described it as one of the largest cocaine busts in the last 20 years.
One of the men, Aristides Avlontis, 36 (center), was arrested and charged as a search began for the remaining couple Mate Stipinovich (left) and Karl Whitburn (right)
Volunteer Marine Rescue WA South Coast WA Commander Alex Williams said it was like watching a crime drama on TV.
“I don’t particularly watch police dramas on TV, but if you think about something like CSI shows outside of the United States, it was probably like a scene out of that: there were people with their federal police badges on their chests,” he said. saying.
Some 365 kg of cocaine was allegedly found on board and police described it as one of the largest cocaine busts in the last 20 years.
Murdoch University associate professor of criminology and former federal police officer Mark Briskey estimated the cocaine was worth millions of dollars.
Acting Commander Graeme Marshall said the discovery would be a blow to the syndicate that had tried to import the drugs.
“The interception of this amount of drugs would be a significant blow to a well-resourced syndicate, preventing millions of dollars in drug proceeds from flowing back to the group to finance their next criminal adventure or lavish lifestyles,” he said.