On Monday morning, Australian police received a call from Kooragang Island in the city of Newcastle. People told officers they found an unconscious man on the banks of the Hunter River. Rescuers arrived on the spot. But they were unable to resuscitate the victim, reports Slate according to information from Vice.
At the scene, the police discovered no less than 50 kg of cocaine alongside the deceased man. The total value of the goods was estimated at nearly 20 million dollars, or approximately 18 million euros. The drugs “were packaged in such a way that they looked like they had been brought in from overseas,” said Detective Superintendent Rob Critchlow.
A drug corridor between Latin America and Australia?
Since this discovery, all leads have been favored by the police. And in particular that of the involvement of the victim in drug trafficking and his role as a mule. “We are not 100% sure that this person was involved but it is a track that we are examining”, confirms Rob Critchlow. According to him, the man had “particularly specialized” diving equipment, such as a rebreather that allows you to stay underwater longer.
More than 2,000 boats pass each year on the Hunter River, known to be home to the largest coal port in the world. Authorities said “a small inflatable boat and a five-metre runabout were spotted near a ship which arrived in Newcastle harbor on Sunday after leaving Argentina just over a month ago. “. Rob Critchlow adds: “They were a well organized professional group and quite comfortable doing what they were doing. That is, sending drugs on a ship across the world to target this community here in Australia. An important drug corridor would thus have developed between the country and Latin America over the past ten years.