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

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 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.

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.

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 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.

A group of 13 men, including two minors, have been charged as part of the largest-ever cocaine bust in Australian history.