Multi-million pound cocaine haul from Jersey-registered yacht

Thursday 27 August 2015

Australian police have seized more than $17 million dollars worth of cocaine after a raid on a Jersey-registered yacht in a Queensland marina.

The cocaine, worth almost £8 million, is a record haul for Australian police, and follows an international operation codenamed “Operation Lamister”.

Five men were arrested with the drugs, which are thought to have been smuggled from South America to Australia.

Australian Federal Police say 43-year-old Estonian Arthur Rivken arrived at Coomera in the Gold Coast on Monday morning aboard the 44-foot Jersey-registered yacht named The Solay, and met 58-year-old Martin Mayers from the UK.

They drove to buy tools – to remove the drugs from hiding places within the boat, according to the police – and on Tuesday afternoon they removed some duffle bags from the yacht and drove off to meet three other men.

But none of the men knew that police had been covertly watching them for more than 24 hours.

Officers swooped on the men at the meeting, and found 40 kilos of cocaine in the cars. When they returned to the yacht, they found another 30 kilos.

Mr Rivken and Mr Mayers face charges of importing drugs, while the three other men – aged 67, 59 and 29 – face charges of attempted possession of commercial quantities of drugs.

All five face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, if convicted.

In a statement announcing the haul, the Australian Federal Police said they had worked with Irish and French authorities in a joint operation.

AFP Commander Organised Crime David Stewart said: “We believe this operation has disrupted and caused significant damage to a number of organised criminal enterprises that are seeking to profit from the high prices and demand for illegal narcotics in Australia.

“A united approach from law enforcement and border protection agencies – both in Australia and internationally – is crucial in detecting and dismantling organised criminal networks.”

Picture credit: AFP