SIGN UP FOR OUR Bangkok Desk, Dec. 29 — Fifteen people have been detained in Australia in connection with the seizure of 1.1 tons of cocaine in an international operation against a drug smuggling ring, police officials said Thursday.
A total of 500 kilograms were seized on Dec. 25 in the southern Australian state of New South Wales, and over 600 kilograms bound for Australia were intercepted in March in Tahiti, according to a statement of the Australian Federal Police.
The 15 alleged drug-traffickers, aged between 29 and 63 years, were caught throughout December in different Australian cities and, according to the ABC TV channel, include 57-year-old ex-rugby player, John Tobin.
The detainees face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if found guilty.
“(…) the results achieved are a powerful example of the impact made by the hard work and cooperation of the NSW Police Force, Australian Federal Police, and our partners in combating transnational organized crime activities such as drug trafficking,” NSW Police Force State Crime Commander Mark Jenkins said.
Australians are among the largest per capita consumers of illicit drugs in the world.
A kilogram of cocaine in Australia can cost up to 100 times its price in South America.
Around 80 percent of cocaine that enters Australia is grown and processed in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia, and are hidden in ship cargo loaded in ports in Colombia, Mexico, and Panama, according to official data. EFE
