Drug bust on cruise ship in Sydney

Drug bust on cruise ship in Sydney

Three Canadians have been arrested for trying to smuggle 95kg of cocaine into Sydney on a cruise ship, 7 news has reported.

The Australian Federal Police caught the accused 63-year-old man and two women, age 23 and 28, on Sunday after police and sniffer dogs searched the vessel when it berthed in Sydney and found cocaine in suitcases.

The trio will face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment when they appear in the Sydney Local Court today, charged with importing a commercial quantity of cocaine.

The joint operation by the AFP and Australian Border Force received co-operation from the US Department of Homeland Security Investigations, New Zealand Customs Service and the Canada Border Services Agency.

The AFP has not ruled out further arrests.

This is not the first time cruise ships have been used to smuggle drugs in and out of the country. In November 2015, three men were arrested after allegedly trying to import 20 kilograms of cocaine into Sydney on a cruise ship. The US nationals, two aged 49 and one a 61-year-old, were arrested when the ship arrived in Sydney Harbour. Also back in October 2014, an alleged key player in a NSW drug syndicate was arrested while trying to board an international cruise ship in Sydney.

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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