Police release pictures of $245 million cocaine haul on board yacht

Police uncovered a huge haul of cocaine in the hull of a yacht in New South Wales, Australia, which they valued at £245 million.

The vessel contained 700kg of the Class A drug when it was intercepted at Toronto near Lake Macquarie, following a multi-agency investigation into drug trafficking by sea.

The force tweeted photos of the drug bust, commenting “it won’t be a white Christmas in NSW this year”.

Three men have been arrested and charged with importing the drugs. They were refused bail at Newcastle Local Court.

Police arrested a 68-year-old man was arrested on board the vessel, while a 47-year-old man was arrested at a hotel. A 63-year-old man was arrested at a home nearby.

Australian Federal Police assistant commissioner Neil Gaughan said the drug-filled vessel had passed through Tahiti in Hawaii, before making its way to Australia.

“It is no surprise that criminal syndicates undertake sophisticated attempts that go to great lengths – even crossing oceans in relatively small craft – to import narcotics," he said.

“This is nothing more than an attempt to flood our streets with dangerous narcotics to make a profit, with police, health professionals and the community picking up the bill for all the peripheral damage they will cause.”

NSW Police Force state crime commander Mal Lanyon added: “With every seizure we make, a syndicate is taken down, but the demand remains high, and another organised criminal syndicate is willing to flip the coin and risk it all to try and exploit that demand for profit,”