A Perth man charged over his alleged role in a plot to import and distribute more than 525kg of cocaine is expected to appear in Perth Magistrates Court today (Saturday, 10 January, 2026).
The Western Australia Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (WA JOCTF) arrested the man, 44, in the Perth suburb of Mariginiup yesterday. The man, from Myaree, is the sixth person charged since the cocaine was found in the ocean off the WA coast in November, 2025.
A WA JOCTF investigation was already underway when members of the public found the drugs tied to flotation drums about 30km off the coast of Lancelin, north of Perth, on 6 November.
Police will allege the Myaree man was part of a group which travelled out to sea from Two Rocks Marina at various times in early November to try to retrieve the cocaine.
The drugs had allegedly been dropped into the ocean from an international livestock vessel overnight on 31 October, 2025, as it travelled towards Fremantle Harbour.
The vessel's chief officer - a 46-year-old Croatian national - has been charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug.
Another Perth man, 52, and three Sydney men - aged 19, 22 and 36 - were also charged for their alleged roles in attempting to collect the cocaine from the ocean.
Those five men remain before the courts.
Police will allege the Myaree man and the 52-year-old went out to sea on a small boat on 2 November, 2025, after they discussed their plans on an encrypted messaging app.
The Myaree man was charged with one count of attempt to possess a commercial quantity of unlawfully imported cocaine, contrary to section 307.5 of the Criminal Code (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is life imprisonment.
If not intercepted by authorities, 525kg of cocaine could have been distributed as about 2.6 million individual street deals and put an estimated $170 million* into the pockets of the criminals involved.
WA JOCTF Detective Inspector Matt Taylor said the WA JOCTF was committed to identifying everyone involved in the plot as part of their commitment to protecting the Australian community from the harm caused by illicit drugs.
"Greedy organised crime syndicates are relentless in their attempts to smuggle illicit commodities into Australia, but Commonwealth and State law enforcement and intelligence agencies are dedicated to stopping them profiting at our community's expense," Det Insp Taylor said.
"Drug use makes our communities less safe and put more pressure on our health systems - in 2022-23 there were 985 cocaine-related hospitalisations nationally**, more than two each day on average.
"This investigation remains ongoing and further arrests have not been ruled out."
Anyone with information that can assist this investigation is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
The WA JOCTF combines the resources and capabilities of the AFP, Western Australia Police Force (WAPF), Australian Border Force (ABF), the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) and AUSTRAC, to target serious organised criminals causing harm in WA and across Australia.
*Source of drug valuation - the ACIC Illicit drug calculator
**Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
