The mystery source of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine is yet to be found as bricks of the drug continue to wash up on NSW beaches and police scour the coastline for clues.
About 213kg of suspected cocaine has been recovered at locations spanning from the south coast to Newcastle since the days before Christmas.
Detectives are working with specialist resources including PolAir and Marine Area Command, as well as Australian Border Force and Surf Life Saving NSW, to seize any outstanding packages and determine their origin.
"The public are reminded to report any suspicious package to authorities," police said in a statement on Monday.
In less than one week in late December, 124 barnacle-covered one-kilogram "bricks" of suspected cocaine were retrieved from the surf between Sydney and Newcastle.
Tuggerah Lakes police were called to Magenta Beach, on the Central Coast, on December 22 after a member of the public located a suspicious package containing 39 sealed packets.
On Christmas eve, seven more individually wrapped bricks washed up on Magenta, Pelican, Blacksmith and Avoca beaches, Pentaloon Bay and North Steyne beach.
On the morning of Boxing Day, water police were called to the Barrenjoey headland, Sydney's most northern point, where a fisherman found a blue barrel stuffed with another 39 packets of cocaine.
Almost 40 kilograms of cocaine have been found at the Newcastle Ocean Baths.
A bag stuffed with bricks of the drug was spotted by swimmers about 5.30pm on Boxing Day. Police photographs show the bag behind the pool's iconic turquoise wall.
Police have urged those along the stretch of east coast to remain vigilant and call triple zero (000) if they discover a similar package.
Investigators have warned people not to remove or open the packages if they are found.
If anyone believes they may have seen something similar, they should contact their local police station.
Wastewater testing has previously shown Sydney has by far the highest levels of cocaine use of anywhere in the country.
However, data released by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission in November also showed a long-term decrease in use of the drug across all capital cities.
Cocaine use slumped during the pandemic, although it has since rebounded. Read about the five drug discoveries that caused a splash in Newcastle in 2023.
- With Australian Associated Press
