Ship’s Crew Charged in Australia After Drug Intercept
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has charged six crew members of a merchant vessel following a joint investigation into an organised crime syndicate which allegedly imported one tonne of cocaine into Australia.
It will be alleged the men from Honduras and Ecuador operated a specially modified 40m vessel found to contain three professionally built and installed smuggling hides.
An investigation into the vessel began in January 2026, after French authorities intercepted the ship in international waters.
During this interception, the French Navy located, seized and disposed of 4.8 tonnes of cocaine before the ship – the MV Raider – and its crew were released in accordance with the laws of French Polynesia.
Police suspected an Australian-based crew operating on behalf of a larger criminal syndicate was looking to rendezvous with the MV Raider to conduct an at-sea transfer within Australia's Economic Exclusion Zone.
Australian Border Force officers, with the support of the NSW Police Marine Area Command, met the MV Raider 180nm off the NSW coast in late February.
The ship's crew were interviewed in relation to their intentions and discussed their rights to enter Australia, before they were advised they would not be permitted entry into an Australian port.
On March 12, the MV Raider placed a distress call to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
The vessel was escorted into Sydney Harbour by NSW Police after the crew reported mechanical issues and they had run low on critical supplies.
The crew of the vessel was detained by ABF officials as unlawful maritime arrivals and transported to Villawood Immigration Detention Centre.
A subsequent examination of the crew's electronic devices by the ABF allegedly found evidence consistent with the allegation the MV Raider had further drugs on board.
AFP investigators, with the assistance of ABF Maritime Operations NSW, executed a search warrant on the ship while it was anchored in Snails Bay, in Sydney Harbour and seized a number of documents as well as a range of electronic devices allegedly used by the crew to coordinate the distribute of cocaine within Australian waters.
The AFP also seized a satellite phone which was allegedly used by senior members of the MV Raiders crew to communicate with the syndicate's bosses based offshore.
The group was charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs, contrary to section 307.1 (by virtue of section 11.1) of the Criminal Code (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is life imprisonment.
