Cocaine Bust Shocks Perth: Two Men Arrested After 200kg Seized at Northbridge Hotel!

Authorities are investigating a rural airstrip's potential link to the discovery of 200 bricks of cocaine, night vision goggles, and an airband radio found in a hotel located in the CBD. The investigation aims to uncover connections between these items and criminal activities.

A police investigation is underway to determine if a secluded gravel airstrip was involved in a sophisticated conspiracy to smuggle approximately 200 kilograms of cocaine into Australia. On Saturday, two individuals were apprehended by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and subsequently charged with drug trafficking following a search of a hotel room that reportedly revealed one-kilogram packages of cocaine stuffed into six suitcases.

The arrested suspects consist of a 48-year-old man from Victoria and a 44-year-old man from South Africa. These individuals were allegedly monitored as they entered and exited Western Australia multiple times over a three-month inquiry. Notably, the Victorian suspect is said to have returned to Perth on Boxing Day, during which he was observed loading a rental utility vehicle with numerous suitcases and jerry cans.

The investigation further indicates that the South African national purportedly traveled approximately 800 kilometers north to rendezvous with a small aircraft at the Overlander Airstrip, a gravel runway located in the Gascoyne region near Shark Bay, on December 27. The next day, both men reportedly reconvened in Perth, where witnesses claimed to see them discarding suitcases and jerry cans at a shopping mall before acquiring new luggage.

Authorities apprehended the pair while they were in a vehicle in the central business district of Perth. A subsequent search of the hotel room belonging to the Victorian man allegedly revealed almost 200 kilograms of cocaine, along with night vision goggles, various electronic gadgets, and an airband VHF radio. Meanwhile, the hotel room of his accomplice supposedly contained four empty suitcases, aviation navigation tools, a hardware cryptocurrency wallet, and additional electronic devices.

According to AFP Inspector Chris Colley, law enforcement is suggesting that these individuals were likely part of a larger organized crime syndicate, affirming that investigations into the small aircraft involved in the scheme are ongoing. “The AFP has successfully disrupted the efforts of these individuals and a suspected organized crime group that may have orchestrated this operation, preventing them from benefiting from the distribution of this perilous drug throughout Western Australia,” he stated.

He further elaborated on the implications of drug trafficking, emphasizing that illicit drug consumption in Australia fuels dangerous and violent criminal enterprises that jeopardize national security and economic stability, ultimately compromising public safety in neighborhoods and on roads.

Both suspects are facing charges related to trafficking a substantial quantity of a controlled substance and were anticipated to appear in a Perth court on Sunday. This operation underscores the relentless efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat drug-related crimes and the complexities involved in dismantling sophisticated smuggling networks.