In a significant crackdown on drug trafficking, Australian federal police (AFP) have charged 11 men and two juveniles for conspiring to import 2.34 tonnes of cocaine by sea, valued at approximately $760 million.

The operation involved members of the Comanchero gang who used a newly purchased fishing boat to collect cocaine from a mothership located in international waters.

However, the mothership involved in the operation remains unapprehended, as it was not captured during the police intervention.

Among those arrested was the vice-president of the Brisbane chapter of the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle club, underscoring the gang's deep connections to drug trafficking.

Thirteen individuals were arrested in total, including two men apprehended at sea and eleven onshore, two of whom are juveniles, all of whom are Australian citizens.

The AFP emphasized the seriousness of these arrests as a warning to other criminal syndicates plotting drug imports into Australia.

Commander Stephen Jay noted that Australia is a lucrative target for organized crime groups, particularly due to rising cocaine use and high street prices.

In the past financial year, Australian Border Force and federal police have confiscated over 33.7 tonnes of illicit drugs and precursors, highlighting ongoing challenges in combating drug trafficking.

Further details about the cocaine seizure and the ongoing investigation are expected to be released by investigators.

The arrests were made after a recreational fishing boat, which had been tracked by police, experienced mechanical failure and became stranded 18 kilometers off the coast of K'gari (Fraser Island) in Queensland.

This operation, dubbed Operation Tyrrendor, stemmed from a month-long investigation triggered by a tip-off regarding the Comancheros motorcycle gang's plans for a large-scale smuggling operation.

Investigations began in November 2024 after intelligence linked a criminal syndicate to the Comanchero gang, prompting a coordinated effort by federal and state law enforcement.