Crew Charged in Aussie Cocaine Smuggling

0:00Six crew members from the MV Raider just got hit with drug smuggling charges by Australian police. They say the guys tried sneaking one ton of cocaine into the country. This after French Polynesian authorities boarded the boat back in January, and dumped nearly five tons of coke they found overboard. The vessel limped into Sydney Harbor in March, with the crew claiming engine trouble and low supplies. At first, lawyers figured no charges would stick since that first bus happened way outside Aussie waters. But things flipped quick. These crew five from Honduras and one from Ecuador, ages 26 to 63, were part of an 11-man team. Officials think they worked for a bigger syndicate, planning a handoff at sea right in Australia's economic zone. Digging deeper, cops searched phones and devices, uncovering proof of more drugs hidden in probial compartments. They even found a secret spot under a wardrobe, plus a satellite phone, linking back to offshore bosses. Turns out, Aussie forces met the boat 180 nautical miles off New South Wales, back in late February,

1:03warning them off ports way before. The distress call. Now, six space court in Sydney today on commercial quantity charges. Border force is clear. They watch that long coastline close, ready to shut down these border runs. Case still unfolding. That's the story for today. Sydney news today, driven by AI.