Record stash of cocaine found buried underground in Australia

Australian police seized a record 3 tons of cocaine hidden in plastic tubs buried underground on the outskirts of Sydney, detectives said Monday. It was the largest cocaine haul in Australian history, a joint organized crime investigation force said in a statement . Police allege a Sydney-based organized crime group arranged for a foreign vessel to offload the cocaine in northern Queensland before moving it to Sydney for distribution. "Investigations into the origin of the drugs remain ongoing, and we will work with our international and domestic law enforcement partners to identify the criminal syndicates," Australian Federal Police Commander Stephen Jay said. The cocaine would have been worth more than Aus$800 ($560 million) in street sales -- money that "won't make it into the pockets of organized crime," he told a news conference . Police released multiple images of the bust, showing the dugs concealed in large containers as well as officers collecting evidence and detaining a suspect. In this undated photo provided by the Australian Federal Police, a quantity of cocaine is bagged and displayed in Sydney. Australian Federal Police via AP "We know criminals go to extreme lengths, and often risk their own lives, to smuggle drugs into Australia with no regard to the harm they cause to Australian communities," Jay said. …