Australian police seized a record 2.3 tons of cocaine and arrested 13 people in raids after the suspects' boat broke down off the coast of Queensland, authorities said Monday.

Australian authorities seized over two tons of cocaine over the weekend worth nearly $500 million after the fishing boat that smugglers used to sail the drugs into Australia broke down — the largest ever seizure of cocaine in Australia.

Australian Police have seized 2.3 tonnes of cocaine from a broken-down boat off the coast of Queensland, authorities said on Monday. Eleven men and two juveniles were arrested, including the vessel's crew and others waiting on the shore to collect the illegal shipment.

The detained people are suspected to be members of a drug smuggling syndicate aboard a mothership sailing in international waters. This is the biggest haul of cocaine ever seized in Australia, with an estimated resale value of AUS $760m (£388m), police said.

Australian police have arrested 13 people in what authorities described as the largest-ever cocaine bust in the country’s history. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said on Monday that they had charged 11 men and two juveniles after tracking a fishing boat that allegedly travelled to meet a mother ship loaded with cocaine off the coast of Queensland.

The haul, worth around $760m Australian dollars, was found on board after police acted on a tip-off that the gang was planning a multi-tonne smuggling operation.

The cocaine, which has an estimated street value of $760 million, was seized after the boat it was on broke down.

Australian police have seized a record 2.3 tonnes of cocaine worth nearly $500 million after the vessel carrying it broke down.

Australian police say they have seized a record 2.3 tons of cocaine from a fishing boat off the coast of Queensland

Australian police seized a record 2.3 tons of cocaine from a fishing boat and arrested 13 people in raids. The drugs had a sale value of $494 million and investigators told reporters in Brisbane that the drugs were transported from an unidentified South American country.

Australian police seized the country’s largest haul of cocaine aboard a fishing boat that had broken down near the coast of Queensland, arresting 13 people alleged to be part of a drug-smuggling syndicate.