The Australian Federal Police are now looking for three men who were heroically saved while clinging to an esky in choppy waters after their boat collapsed in relation to a $235 million cocaine haul.
Aboard Tuesday, investigators revealed the discovery of 365 kg of cocaine that they believe was being carried on the seven-meter sailboat operated by the trio.
On February 1, the guys were rescued from perilous seas 17 kilometers offshore of Albany, Western Australia.
But the police instantly dismissed their story that they were on a fishing excursion, saying it was “inconsistent.”
A black plastic-wrapped box containing several smaller quantities of cocaine washed up close to Denmark six days later, according to the AFP.
A seven-meter boat was discovered flipped the next day (Wednesday, 8 February 2023), some 45 kilometers west of Denmark, off Peaceful Bay.
Police reportedly discovered an additional eight identical plastic-wrapped bundles, each carrying roughly 40kg of cocaine, when they collected and examined the cabin cruiser.
“Police suspect that the narcotics were put into the seven-meter boat from the water.”
However, the precise method by which the medications were thrown into the water is still under investigation.
In order to find the persons that investigators want to talk with regarding the cargo, the AFP has appealed for the public’s aid.
Mate Stipinovich, 49, and Karl Whitburn, 45, are two of the males the police want to talk with. They are both from Western Australia.
Aristides Avlonitis, a 36-year-old third male, is said to be in the Northern Territory.
The yacht where the cocaine was discovered is officially owned by one of the WA guys.
The three men were admonished by AFP acting Commander Graeme Marshall to call the police.
He said, “We are also pleading with anybody else to phone us if they have information to assist us in finding the individuals or know anything about this drug importation.”
“The seizure of this quantity of cocaine would be a serious blow to a well-resourced syndicate, and stops millions of dollars of drug proceeds from coming back into the gang to support their next criminal endeavor or extravagant lives.”
The AFP calculated that the seizure prevented the community from suffering about $235 million in drug-related costs for crime, medical treatment, and lost productivity.
The narcotics confiscated would have been dispersed across Australia, not only in Western Australia, according to Commander Marshall, who noted that organized criminal syndicates use a number of strategies to attempt to bring substantial quantities of drugs into Australia.
He said that some people believe cocaine to be a safe substance. Please understand that it is not.
Just as significant, our nation’s social security system, economy, and national security are being threatened by the major international organized criminals that prey on Australia.
For the purpose of ensuring that the Australian population is protected, Commander Marshall stated, “The AFP and its allies will continue to pursue and disrupt criminals located both domestically and abroad who are importing narcotics.”
Superintendent Shaun Senior of the Australian Border Force stated that in order to spot suspicious activities, the agency constantly watches ships traveling through and near ports and harbors around Australia.
We will continue to make the border an unfriendly location for criminals seeking to import illegal narcotics, he said, adding that it is one of Australia’s most important national assets.
The details of how and where this specific shipment of cocaine ended up in the water are still being looked into as part of an international investigation.
Police are asking anybody with knowledge on the event to get in touch with them.
»AFP is interviewing three Western Australians found at sea with an esky«