The French Navy seized 4.87 tonnes of cocaine from an alleged drug ship bound for Australia, but released the vessel and crew who still had one tonne on board hidden in specially constructed compartments, police say.
The six male crew members, five from Honduras and one from Ecuador, allegedly made at least one drop-off of the remaining drugs, worth $1.5 billion, in Australian waters, and were arrested and charged on Saturday with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs.
The MV Raider was stopped by the French Navy in international waters near French Polynesia in January, and was then intercepted by the Australian Border Force (ABF) off the coast of NSW in late February.
The crew were interviewed and told they would not be permitted to entry into Australia, but the ship made a distress call on March 12 reporting mechanical issues and lack of critical supplies.
The French Navy seized 4.87 tonnes of cocaine from a drug ship bound for Australia, but missed 1 tonne hidden in secret compartments and released the vessel and crew.
The six crew members then allegedly dropped off the cocaine in Australian waters, but were caught after running… pic.twitter.com/JHEjYL5wkY
— The Noticer (@NoticerNews) March 30, 2026
NSW Police towed the MV Raider into Sydney Harbour where the crew were detained as “unlawful maritime arrivals” and taken to Villawood Immigration Detention Centre.
But the ABF then allegedly found evidence there had been further drugs on board while examining the crew’s electronic devices, and the Australian Federal Police searched the vessel and found what they allege are three “professionally installed smuggler hides suspected of previously containing up to six tonnes of cocaine”.
Police allege the six crew members, aged between 26 and 61, were involved in dropping off the cocaine missed by the French Navy in coordination with the bosses of an offshore syndicate.
At the time of the January raid the French Embassy in Australia said the 96 bales containing 4.87 tonnes of cocaine the navy uncovered onboard was a record seizure. The MV raider and crew were released in accordance with the laws of French Polynesia.
Australian police said criminal syndicates were going to “extreme lengths” and risking lives by bringing in drugs on “custom built motherships”.
“Our intelligence sharing with partner agencies across the globe is exceptional, this coupled with the ABF Maritime Operations teams’ intricate knowledge of complex vessel concealments resulted in further evidence coming to light,” ABF Commander Rose Cracknell said.
“The ABF’s digital device examinations allegedly uncovered further criminality, which will be tested and put before the courts.
“We know that criminal groups will try to use Australia’s vast coastline to attempt to breach our borders, but criminals should always assume we are watching and ready to take action.”
All six men were refused bail on Monday.
Header image: Left, the French Navy seizing the 4.87 tonnes of cocaine (French Embassy Australia). Right, one of the crew members being arrested (ABF).
