A Tasmanian man with alleged links to crime syndicates has been charged after police seized five kilograms of cocaine in the north-west.
The 36-year-old was arrested in Smithton on Tuesday following a joint operation targeting organised drug trafficking into the state.
Officers from the Tasmania Joint Organised Crime Task Force (JOCTF) allegedly intercepted a vehicle linked to the man after it disembarked from a commercial shipping vessel in Devonport.
The cocaine was found allegedly concealed beneath the rear seats.
Detective Inspector Troy Morrisby said the seizure had disrupted a sophisticated drug importation network with tentacles reaching beyond Tasmania’s shores.
“This man is a Tasmanian resident, who police will allege has connections with interstate and overseas criminal networks,” he said.
“By intercepting this attempt to import a significant amount of cocaine into Tasmania, police have disrupted what we allege is organised criminal activity, linked to interstate crime syndicates.”
The taskforce includes Tasmania Police, the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Border Force.
“… This result demonstrates the effectiveness of Tasmania Police working with our partner agencies,” Morrisby said.
The man is expected to appear in the Devonport Magistrates Court today.
