AFP charge six crew over MV Raider cocaine plot intercepted off NSW coast and investigated in Sydney Harbour

Australia’s vast coastline is increasingly becoming a frontline in the global fight against organised crime, as authorities allege a specially modified vessel attempted to import up to six tonnes of cocaine into the country.

Six foreign nationals have been charged following a joint investigation into what police say was a sophisticated maritime drug smuggling operation involving a 40-metre vessel equipped with purpose-built concealment compartments.

Authorities allege the vessel, MV Raider, was designed to operate as a so-called “mothership”, capable of transporting large quantities of illicit drugs before transferring shipments at sea to smaller boats inside Australia’s vast maritime zone.

Investigators say criminal syndicates are increasingly turning to offshore smuggling tactics in an effort to bypass airport and port screening, exploiting the scale and remoteness of Australia’s coastline.

The investigation began in January 2026 after French authorities intercepted the vessel in international waters, where 4.8 tonnes of cocaine were seized and destroyed before the ship was released under French Polynesian law.

Australian authorities later suspected the vessel was intending to rendezvous with another crew within Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone to transfer drugs at sea.

Australian Border Force officers, supported by NSW Police Marine Area Command, intercepted the vessel about 180 nautical miles off the NSW coast in late February before refusing the crew permission to enter port.

Weeks later, the vessel issued a distress call after reporting mechanical problems and low supplies, prompting authorities to escort it into Sydney Harbour, where further investigations were carried out.

A subsequent search of the vessel uncovered three professionally constructed concealment compartments believed capable of storing multi-tonne quantities of cocaine, according to investigators.

Electronic devices and documents allegedly linking members of the crew to at least one attempted drug drop within Australian waters were also seized.

Six men, five from Honduras and one from Ecuador, were arrested and charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

AFP Commander Brett James said organised crime groups were increasingly investing in specialised vessels and technology to attempt to penetrate Australia’s borders.

“We know that criminals go to extreme lengths, and often risk their own lives, to smuggle drugs into Australia with no regard to the harm they cause,” he said.

Authorities say investigations into the alleged syndicate and any Australian-based associates remain ongoing, with law enforcement agencies continuing to monitor maritime activity along the nation’s coastline.