$61m cocaine haul from yacht shows organized smuggling network

A quarter-tonne of cocaine worth $61 million has been seized from a yacht moored in Townsville, with two men now in custody facing serious importation charges. The scale of the haul and details of the alleged recovery operation provide fresh evidence of an organized criminal network moving narcotics by sea into Queensland.

Matthieu Anthony Rees, 44, and Rachid Kachour, 55, both from Canberra, were arrested at their apartment on Thursday as part of the federal investigation. Officers allege that when police arrived, one of the men threw a backpack containing $290,000 in vacuum-sealed cash from the apartment balcony—a sum the Australian Federal Police say represents proceeds of crime linked to the cocaine importation.

Court documents reveal how the operation unfolded. The yacht carrying the drugs sailed from Vanuatu and arrived in Townsville in April, mooring at the Yacht Club and Marina. Australian Border Force and AFP officers impounded the vessel following an initial search and found minor hull anomalies. After removing the yacht from the water, authorities discovered 247 kilograms of cocaine concealed in enclosed sections of the hull—a hiding method that suggests deliberate smuggling infrastructure rather than opportunistic trafficking.

Investigators allege Rees and Kachour travelled from Canberra to Townsville in May, purportedly to recover the hidden cocaine. Both men were charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug and dealing in the proceeds of crime worth $100,000 or more. Kachour faces an additional charge of failing to comply with an order to provide access to digital devices, suggesting authorities may be investigating communications or financial records.

Appearing before Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday, both men remained in custody. Rees declined to seek bail and requested an adjournment until September; Kachour, through his Legal Aid solicitor, sought a brief adjournment while arranging private representation. Acting Magistrate Athol Kennedy scheduled Rees' matter for September 1 and Kachour's for later in the week.

AFP Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer described the men as part of a "quite organised" criminal network and flagged that further arrests were possible as investigations continued. The sheer volume—247 kilograms at an estimated street value of $61.75 million—underscores why authorities view this as a major seizure. Court documents list both men's occupations as pastry chefs, a detail that starkly contrasts with the scale and sophistication of the alleged operation.