According to the police, the officers tricked the suspected criminals into thinking that they had successfully smuggled the goods.
An undercover police operation has prevented the entry of one billion dollars worth of cocaine into Western Australia, as officers deceived the accused individuals into thinking that they had successfully imported the drugs.
In November, Operation Beech was initiated following the confiscation of a record-breaking 2.4 tonnes of cocaine by Drug Enforcement Administration agents off the coast of South America, which was purportedly intended for Australia.
According to the police, the traffickers, who were allegedly associated with a Mexican cartel, were unaware of the seizure and believed that the drugs were still en route to Australia.
Upon discovering that the suspected Australian branch of the organization was anticipating the delivery of the shipment on or around December 28th, Western Australian law enforcement officials decided to create a counterfeit package utilizing an inactive material.
The package was deposited approximately 40 nautical miles off the coast of Perth, and over the course of three days up to December 30th, an onshore group purportedly made three excursions to locate and retrieve the package, but was unable to do so.
The group embarked on their journey using two boats, Catalina and Cool Runnings, and encountered difficult circumstances that made for an uncomfortable experience. Both vessels experienced issues during the excursion.
Cool Runnings experienced problems with its steering mechanism and ultimately ended up being beached in the southern region of Moore River.
The Catalina team reportedly assisted by towing the Cool Runnings boat out to sea and purportedly transferring the inactive package to their own vessel before the Catalina encountered difficulties and sank.
Law enforcement officials monitored the group’s actions from an aerial vantage point, and subsequently, a tactical response unit apprehended three individuals who were aboard the Cool Runnings vessel and allegedly had possession of roughly 1.2 tonnes of the inactive material.
Despite the apprehension of suspects, authorities assert that the criminal organization remained under the impression that the cocaine was accessible for purchase. As a result, law enforcement officials executed a raid on a residence located in Carlisle, Perth on January 9th, which led to the arrest of a 28-year-old man from New South Wales.
The individual was charged with attempting to acquire 200kg of cocaine.
In addition, on January 13th, police intercepted a vehicle traveling on the Great Eastern Highway near Coolgardie, situated over 550km east of Perth, and discovered a sum exceeding $2 million in cash.
Authorities have pressed charges against a male individual aged 39 and a female individual aged 37 who are believed to have ties to the criminal organization.
The clandestine mission was a collaborative endeavor involving the Western Australian police force’s Transnational Serious and Organised Crime Squad, personnel from other Australian states, and the Enforcement Administration.
The Western Australia Police Commissioner, Col Blanch, remarked on Saturday, “This operation has allowed us to identify those members of the criminal organization who were ready and capable of receiving and disseminating a substantial quantity of illegal drugs within the populace, individuals who may have otherwise evaded detection and continued to await the arrival of the next shipment.”
“The operation conveys a message to global drug smugglers: ‘Your lethal drugs are not accepted here, and we will collaborate creatively and closely with our domestic and foreign law enforcement colleagues to dismantle your activities.'”
Western Australia law enforcement officials are collaborating with their international counterparts to identify and locate the individuals responsible for orchestrating the shipment.
The group of twelve suspected perpetrators who have been detained hail from the United States, New South Wales, and the Northern Territory.
The accused individuals are currently undergoing legal proceedings within the courts of Western Australia.
