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svBeBe · 15-11-2011, 00:59

Those of us that have crossed the Pacific know how difficult the Bundaberg officials can be...well look out!

The Bundaberg customs and quarantine officials just missed 300kg of cocaine worth an estimated $78 million at wholesale value and more than $3.5 million of cash. Seems as though a Spanish yacht entered and cleared into Bundaberg and a short while later local police stopped them in a car with some of the cocaine. This prompted the police to search the yacht, thus sort of rubbing the cocaine into the noses of the Bundaberg customs and quarantine officials.

It is not going to be pretty clearing into Bundaberg in the future.

More at Noonsite: Drugs Found on Yacht in Bundaberg, Australia

Bill

**boatman61** · 15-11-2011, 01:08

Story I heard was that the yacht had been flagged a coupla weeks earlier...
It was 'passed' so they could work a sting and catch the 'shoreside connection'....
Takes real skill to miss 300kilo's and make it realistic....

Golden Wattle · 15-11-2011, 01:31

The officials have been shadowing the vessel since it left Vanauatu.
They waited 3 weeks for the drugs to come off the vessel.
The Operation began in January I believe.

GW

Quote:

Originally Posted by svBeBe

Those of us that have crossed the Pacific know how difficult the Bundaberg officials can be...well look out!

The Bundaberg customs and quarantine officials just missed 300kg of cocaine worth an estimated $78 million at wholesale value and more than $3.5 million of cash. Seems as though a Spanish yacht entered and cleared into Bundaberg and a short while later local police stopped them in a car with some of the cocaine. This prompted the police to search the yacht, thus sort of rubbing the cocaine into the noses of the Bundaberg customs and quarantine officials.

It is not going to be pretty clearing into Bundaberg in the future.

More at Noonsite: Drugs Found on Yacht in Bundaberg, Australia

Bill

44'cruisingcat · 15-11-2011, 01:48

Just doing their job.

But you're quite welcome to stay away.

Factor · 15-11-2011, 02:07

Yep intelligence driven operation from long before they got to Australia.

TassieBloke · 15-11-2011, 02:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Factor

Yep intelligence driven operation from long before they got to Australia.

Obviously not from the 2 Spaniards on the boat

David_Old_Jersey · 15-11-2011, 06:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by TassieBloke

Obviously not from the 2 Spaniards on the boat

If you are on the muppet end of a business like that, then won't be the sharpest tool

S/V Alchemy · 15-11-2011, 07:10

"the muppet end"...very good...I will remember that one.

stevewrye · 15-11-2011, 13:55

Some friends of ours had their boat two slips from Spanish boat, I guess all hell broke loose on the dock when the boat was busted. Scared the two kids half to death, but it must of been great entertainment from the cockpit.

44'cruisingcat · 20-11-2012, 12:51

We recently cleared into Australia at Bundaberg. Customs and Quarantine were very friendly and efficient. Did their jobs properly and thoroughly, were always polite and courteous, no problems at all.

bvimatelot · 21-11-2012, 08:12

Thread drift....Where is all this bad vibes about Aussie Customs coming from? I cleared in at Cairns, Boatman cleared in at Darwin, others have cleared in all over the place and every one has said that Aussie Custioms are polite, efficient and fair....least - that's how I found 'em (and the beer was ok too!)

**Coops** · 21-11-2012, 12:16

There is a free magazine here called coastal passage, the owner/editor of which has an agenda with the Aussie customs and prints every letter that he can that puts them in a bad light. In the marine trade here it is known as "whinge mail".

Coops.

**Jim Cate** · 21-11-2012, 15:00

FWIW,

Our experiences with Customs here in Oz have also been excellent. It is AQIS (Australian Quarantine Inspection Service, I think) that are causing bad feelings. They are the ones that charge you 300+ dollars to inspect your boat during working hours and 600+ nights or weekends. They are the ones whose rules about what products may be brought into the country change frequently, and whose agents interpret and enforce those rules very inconsistently. They are the ones who are now on an anti-termite crusade which can easily cost you thousands of dollars for inspection and fumigation of your boat/home. They scare the **** out of me, frankly... too much power, too little oversight by un-involved authority.

And they are everywhere... not just in Bundy!

Cheers,

Jim

ozskipper · 21-11-2012, 15:49

@sv BEBE.. Welcome to Oz :-D

@Jim. Yes, it is AQIS. Oz has very unique fauna and flora. AQIS are tasked with ensuring that anything that could endanger the Oz environment is not allowed into the country. We are one of the few continents that doesnt have Foot and Mouth for instance. Similarly, we have very few species of ferral animals -dogs,cats, rabbits, foxs,pigs and toads are just some species that have been introduced and turned ferral by previous generations. They are responsible for preventing any more ferral species entering the county. Insects are a part of that of course. So sadly, for any visiting vessel (yacht or ship) there is a cost involved. Inspections are needed, not just for drug prohibition, but for natural oversights that occur. We see these "oversights" all the time on "Border Security" an aussie customs tv show.