SYDNEY, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Australian authorities have charged 10 foreigners for the attempting to import of 186 kilograms of cocaine after apprehending a 50-meter commercial vessel in the Southern Ocean last week.
Following a lengthy at sea operation, ten men aged between 23 and 50 years face life imprisonment after being charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of drugs, the Australian Border Force (ABF) said in a statement Wednesday. The ABF did not release the men's nationalities.
"The investigation into the origin and destination of the drugs is continuing, however it is unlikely that a criminal venture of this nature would target the small Tasmanian market," the ABF said in a statement.
The vessel was originally intercepted by the Australian Navy on Dec. 12 after authorities became suspicious when it was circling in the Southern Ocean.
ABF personnel then boarded the vessel finding large amounts of a suspicious substance suspected to be illicit. The ship was then escorted to Hobart where it arrived Friday.
The subsequent examination that took a number of days due to the ship's size found approximately 186 kilograms of cocaine compressed into bricks and wrapped in plastic, worth an estimated 60.45 million Australian dollars (43.89 million U.S. dollars).
"Further analysis will be conducted to determine the exact weight and purity," the ABF said.
