Body and Drugs found on yacht bound for Australia.

[surfingminniwinni]

http://www.smh.com.au/world/cocaine-...116-29h6g.html

[olaf hart]

Maybe he was sampling the cargo?

[ausaviator]

Cookies must be enabled | Herald Sun

Who carries terra cotta pots half the way around the world in their yacht !

No doubt a cheap yacht coming on the market courtesy of the Tongan govt.

[Celestialsailor]

"Tongan Police have not yet ruled the death suspicious". Your kidding right? A body with 204 Kilos of cocaine washed up on shore....Nope...everything looks fine here!
Then they go on to say that 204 kilograms is worth $116 million? I think their math is off a tad.
"Mr. Sharpe dismissed claims the drug seizure was a fluke because the yacht had become stranded". Lets see...they lost track of it when it left the Cook Islands until it washed up on Tonga. I'd say that was a fluke. If this is a "typical bust", I can imagine how much is getting through! I have always wondered about the big influx of foreigners to the US, buying up Ocean going sailboats and going back home. It would make perfect sense, buying on the California cost, sailing to Columbia for a pick up then back to their country of origin. Sell the boat there and do it again.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

"Tongan Police have not yet ruled the death suspicious". Your kidding right? A body with 204 Kilos of cocaine washed up on shore....Nope...everything looks fine here!
Then they go on to say that 204 kilograms is worth $116 million? I think their math is off a tad.
"Mr. Sharpe dismissed claims the drug seizure was a fluke because the yacht had become stranded". Lets see...they lost track of it when it left the Cook Islands until it washed up on Tonga. I'd say that was a fluke. If this is a "typical bust", I can imagine how much is getting through! I have always wondered about the big influx of foreigners to the US, buying up Ocean going sailboats and going back home. It would make perfect sense, buying on the California cost, sailing to Columbia for a pick up then back to their country of origin. Sell the boat there and do it again.

Think there might be an uptick in prices on MacGregors?

[EzzyD]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

"Tongan Police have not yet ruled the death suspicious". Your kidding right? A body with 204 Kilos of cocaine washed up on shore....Nope...everything looks fine here!
Then they go on to say that 204 kilograms is worth $116 million? I think their math is off a tad.
"Mr. Sharpe dismissed claims the drug seizure was a fluke because the yacht had become stranded". Lets see...they lost track of it when it left the Cook Islands until it washed up on Tonga. I'd say that was a fluke. If this is a "typical bust", I can imagine how much is getting through! I have always wondered about the big influx of foreigners to the US, buying up Ocean going sailboats and going back home. It would make perfect sense, buying on the California cost, sailing to Columbia for a pick up then back to their country of origin. Sell the boat there and do it again.

From the Australian Crime Commission we have reports that last year cocaine was selling for (at top end) $500/gram.

From the same document:"In terms of weight, a single small craft detection of 401 kilograms in 2010–11 accounted for 57 per cent of the total weight of cocaine detections at the Australian border."

In a different (and older (2008) source) they claim that the price of wholesale cocaine is:
“the wholesale price for a kilogram of cocaine in Colombia, a source country, is reported to be $US2348. By comparison, the same amount of cocaine had an Australian wholesale price of between $US150,000 to $US250,000. . . . wholesale prices in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada ranged between $US10,000 to approximately $US70,000 per kilogram.”

Just using the street value of $500/gram, * 204000 grams results in a value of $102,000,000 AUD. Of course diluting agents and 'inflation' could make this number more... so ... the $116 Million AUD is not unreasonable..

I was also surprised at the number, and wanted to understand how it was that Australia had such a high cost.... I guess distance to market and time to market are a big factor here.....

[barnakiel]

This boat was for sale in Panama. Well.

b.

[Sabbatical II]

Originally Posted by EzzyD

From the Australian Crime Commission we have reports that last year cocaine was selling for (at top end) $500/gram.

From the same document:"In terms of weight, a single small craft detection of 401 kilograms in 2010–11 accounted for 57 per cent of the total weight of cocaine detections at the Australian border."

In a different (and older (2008) source) they claim that the price of wholesale cocaine is:
“the wholesale price for a kilogram of cocaine in Colombia, a source country, is reported to be $US2348. By comparison, the same amount of cocaine had an Australian wholesale price of between $US150,000 to $US250,000. . . . wholesale prices in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada ranged between $US10,000 to approximately $US70,000 per kilogram.”

Just using the street value of $500/gram, * 204000 grams results in a value of $102,000,000 AUD. Of course diluting agents and 'inflation' could make this number more... so ... the $116 Million AUD is not unreasonable..

I was also surprised at the number, and wanted to understand how it was that Australia had such a high cost.... I guess distance to market and time to market are a big factor here.....

High labour rates and government taxes? And don't laugh, historically, the tax office has not necessarily reported illegal brothels & other illegal operations to police if they pay the correct tax.

Seriously so much of this stuff is getting into Australia it's a joke. Part of the reason is that we are so politically correct. Criminal elements apply for jobs at international airport and shipping cargo divisions and in Australia we employ them because they promise that their clean now. They look for jobs where they can illegally import what they like. Having entered Australia by yacht once, I accept that Australian customs have some tough rules to enforce, but they are not smart, not even half as smart as the crims. (maybe a little smarter than ones who end up on a reef on their way to Oz)

[salticrak]

Pity any poor buggers clearing customs for a while, the Border nazis will be all fired up now.

[John A]

The story with picture posted on the Latitude38 website

Latitude 38 - 'Lectronic Latitude

[Sabbatical II]

Originally Posted by salticrak

Pity any poor buggers clearing customs for a while, the Border nazis will be all fired up now.

I guess now it might be a huge disadvantage to a "thick looking" fiberglass hull and an integral keel. I mean, why have you glassed over those keel bolts?

[captain58sailin]

According to Havoscope web site, the going rate for cocaine in Oz is 45.8 USD per gram.

[surfingminniwinni]

Originally Posted by Sabbatical II

High labour rates and government taxes? And don't laugh, historically, the tax office has not necessarily reported illegal brothels & other illegal operations to police if they pay the correct tax.

Seriously so much of this stuff is getting into Australia it's a joke. Part of the reason is that we are so politically correct. Criminal elements apply for jobs at international airport and shipping cargo divisions and in Australia we employ them because they promise that their clean now. They look for jobs where they can illegally import what they like. Having entered Australia by yacht once, I accept that Australian customs have some tough rules to enforce, but they are not smart, not even half as smart as the crims. (maybe a little smarter than ones who end up on a reef on their way to Oz)

Thanks Tony Abbott , or are you Alan Jones, simple solution for you mate don't like it in oz move to another country!