Chief Officer of Livestock Carrier Among Four Charged in Massive Cocaine Bust Off Western Australia

Four men, including the chief officer of an international livestock carrier, face life imprisonment after Australian authorities intercepted more than 525 kilograms of cocaine floating in the ocean off Western Australia’s coast in what officials describe as a sophisticated organized crime operation worth an estimated AUD $170 million (US $110 million) on the street.

The Western Australia Joint Organised Crime Taskforce was already monitoring suspicious activity by an international vessel when members of the public discovered large packages tied to flotation drums approximately 30 kilometers offshore on November 6. Later that day, Western Australia Police Force and Australian Federal Police officers recovered the bundles off the coast of Lancelin, about 125 kilometers north of Perth.

Officials did not disclose the name of the ship, however reporting indicates it is the Al Kuwait, a 190-meter livestock carrier.

Forensic specialists estimate the shipment could have been distributed as more than 2.6 million individual street deals. Authorities allege the drugs were dropped into the ocean from an international livestock carrier en route to Fremantle Harbour.

On November 7, 2025, police charged the vessel’s chief officer—a 46-year-old Croatian national—with attempting to import a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug. During a search of the ship, investigators located a blue drum and ropes allegedly similar to those found with the drugs. Examination of the vessel revealed that rails had been removed and reinstalled without proper welding work permits, and that a CCTV camera had been covered during the alleged offloading operation.

Three Australian men were also arrested in connection with the failed import. A 52-year-old Perth man and two Sydney men, aged 19 and 36, allegedly made multiple attempts to retrieve the cocaine from the ocean after launching boats from Two Rocks boat ramp. The operation unraveled when emergency services responded to a vessel in distress off the coast of Guilderton on November 3, where the two Sydney men were found on a boat taking on water. Police became suspicious after details of their trip raised concerns.

“The AFP is constantly sharing with and receiving intelligence from international counterparts, so we are in position to defend Australia from these threats, wherever they originate,” said AFP Assistant Commissioner Pryce Scanlan. He noted that in 2022-23 there were 985 cocaine-related hospitalizations nationally, averaging more than two each day.

“This should send a clear message to organised crime groups that Western Australia is not a soft target. We will find you and we will bring you to justice,” said WA Police Assistant Commissioner Tony Longhorn.

Australian Border Force Acting Commander Linda Jose highlighted the agency’s focus on so-called “trusted insiders” who infiltrate international supply chains. “Our officers continually monitor international vessels and their crews entering Australia, looking for any anomalies or potential trusted insider threat and will not hesitate to act with our partners when suspicious activity is uncovered,” she said.

The Croatian national was remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear in Perth Magistrates Court on January 23, 2026. The 19-year-old Sydney man appeared in court on November 20, 2025, while the 36-year-old appeared in NSW court on November 21 before both were extradited to Western Australia. Both face charges of possessing a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border controlled drug, with maximum penalties of life imprisonment.

Investigations remain ongoing into the organized crime syndicate behind the operation and the origin of the cocaine, with authorities expecting more arrests.

Police have urged the public to immediately call 131 444 if they find any suspicious packages in the ocean or washed up along Western Australia’s coastline, warning that taking such packages home could constitute an offense.

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