Two arrested over $61m cocaine smuggled in yacht hull

Australian Federal Police have dismantled a major international drug smuggling operation after discovering nearly a quarter-tonne of cocaine concealed inside a yacht that sailed into Queensland waters.

The seizure, made at Townsville Yacht Club and Marina, represents one of the largest cocaine busts in recent Australian law enforcement history, with the contraband carrying a street value exceeding $61 million.

Matthieu Anthony Rees, 44, and Rachid Kachour, 55, both based in Canberra's Griffith suburb, remain in custody following their arrest at their apartment. The pair allegedly travelled to Townsville in May to recover the drugs from their hiding place within the vessel's specially modified hull.

How the operation unravelled

The yacht arrived in Townsville from Vanuatu in April, triggering initial suspicion among border authorities. Australian Border Force and AFP officers impounded the vessel during a routine inspection. When engineers removed the boat from the water for closer examination, they identified anomalies in the hull structure that warranted further investigation.

The discovery that followed shocked investigators: 247 kilograms of cocaine packed into sealed compartments within the vessel's infrastructure. The scale of the seizure underscores the sophistication of the smuggling network behind it.

The arrest and cash evidence

Detectives moved swiftly once the cocaine was secured. Officers raided the Canberra apartment where Rees and Kachour were staying on Thursday. The moment they arrived at the door, one of the men acted desperately—he hurled a backpack containing $290,000 in cash from the apartment balcony, sealed in a vacuum bag.

Australian Federal Police allege the cash represented proceeds of crime linked to the broader drug operation. The frantic action, recorded during the arrest, illustrated the stakes involved and the men's awareness of the gravity of their alleged involvement.

Court documents describe both men as pastry chefs—a cover unlikely to withstand scrutiny given the scale of the operation they are accused of orchestrating.

The broader criminal network

AFP Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer characterised the operation as part of a "quite organised" criminal enterprise. The investigation remains active, with authorities indicating that further arrests are possible as they work to uncover the network's full structure and intended distribution targets within Australia.

Both men appeared before Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday, where they 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—a restriction that may yield further intelligence.

Neither man applied for bail. Rees' case has been adjourned until early September, while Kachour's matter will be heard again within days. Prosecutors indicated they may disclose a partial brief of evidence within six weeks, signalling the complexity of the case.

The operation highlights a persistent vulnerability in Australia's maritime borders: the use of private vessels to smuggle high-value contraband. For law enforcement, the seizure represents a significant disruption to an international pipeline, but the focus now turns to identifying the broader network behind it and preventing further attempts.