AUTHORITIES in French Polynesia have seized close to five tonnes of cocaine, preventing the import from reaching Australia shores.
In an official joint statement, the Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force said about 4.87 tonnes of cocaine was intercepted in the Pacific Ocean.
AFP commander Stephen Jay commended the work of the authorities in French Polynesia and highlighted the AFP’s strong collaboration with international partners.
“The AFP is committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to deliver maximum impact against transnational criminal syndicates,” Commander Jay said.
“I would like to thank the exceptional work of our partners in French Polynesia, who have prevented a significant amount of illicit drugs from reaching Australia.
“The harm caused by organised crime syndicates attempting to import illicit drugs into Australia is significant and extends beyond individual users to a myriad of violent and exploitative crimes and harm to the community.”
AFP commissioner Krissy Barrett launched Taskforce Thunder in October last year.
Taskforce Thunder seeks to collaborate with Pacific law enforcement partners through AFP members posted across the Pacific to target serious criminal behaviour.
“AFP members posted in the Pacific and Taskforce Thunder members will seek to work collaboratively with authorities in French Polynesia in an attempt to identify persons in Australia who may be linked to this seizure,” Commissioner Barrett said.
The AFP supports 29 transnational crime investigation units across the Pacific and provides central coordination of intelligence for the region.
These teams are complemented with a network of more than 200 AFP officers across the globe.
Australian Border Force acting commander maritime border command Linda Cappello said Australia's strongest defence against transnational organised crime was the depth of its relationships across the Pacific and beyond.
“Through a sustained regional presence, shared awareness of emerging threats and long-standing partnerships with border and law enforcement agencies, criminal networks are increasingly detected and disrupted well before they can reach Australian shores,” Commander Cappello said.