Nambucca Heads, Australia - May 09, 2025 More than a tonne of cocaine was seized by police after a vessel was intercepted nine nautical miles off the coast on May 9, 2025. Organised Crime Squad detectives charged five people in connection with the seizure on a 13-meter motor cruiser. The investigation, Strike Force Blaine, began after police received intelligence about the suspicious purchase of the vessel in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire on April 28, 2025. Detectives, working with the NSW Crime Commission and Australian Federal Police, tracked the vessel north along the coast through Nelson Bay and Port Macquarie. The Marine Area Command intercepted the vessel near South West Rocks around 9:30 a.m. Two men, aged 24 and 26, were arrested on board and taken to Coffs Harbour Police Station. Police found approximately 1,110 blocks of cocaine weighing 1.039 tonnes, with an estimated potential street value of $623.4 million—enough for more than a million individual hits. Three men aged 28, 29, and 35 were arrested on shore after police stopped two vehicles leaving the South West Rocks area. They were taken to Taree Police Station. Forensic specialists are examining the seized drugs to determine exact weight and purity. Investigators executed five search warrants in Newcastle suburbs and Catherine Hill Bay, seizing electronic devices, documents, clothing, and cash. All five suspects were charged with drug supply and participation in a criminal group. They were refused bail and will appear at Coffs Harbour Local Court on July 15, 2025. Investigations into the origin of the drugs and their associates continue.