A foreign vessel allegedly involved in the importation of 50 kg of heroin into Victoria earlier this week, was intercepted by Australian authorities 35 nm south-east of Newcastle at 7.30 am today.
The vessel, Pong Su, is registered in Tuvalu and is owned by a North Korean company.
Despite bad weather and attempts by the vessel to escape Australian authorities, it has been kept under surveillance since shortly after the heroin was dropped off at a beach near Lorne last Wednesday.
The newly-commissioned Anzac class frigate, HMAS Stuart, with Defence, Australian Federal Police and Customs officers on board, intercepted the vessel and it is now being escorted to Sydney.
Defence Special Operations Forces were used in the operation because they were the best prepared for the difficult circumstances of the task.
The use of Defence personnel and assets in this large scale civilian law enforcement operation demonstrates the quality, flexibility and effective training of our Defence forces.
Officers and resources from Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales Police were also heavily involved.
The complex operation to capture the vessel was coordinated from the Customs Coastwatch National Surveillance Centre in Canberra and involved resources from a range of Commonwealth and State authorities.
I, along with the Defence Minister Robert Hill and Acting Justice Minister Daryl Williams, have remained in regular consultation with authorities and the Chief of the Defence Force, General Cosgrove, in relation to the matter over recent days.
I would like to pay tribute to the men and women from State and Federal authorities who gave up time with their families at Easter to work together to intercept the vessel.
This sends a clear signal to international drug traffickers that Australian authorities are determined to stop illegal import of drugs and will do whatever is necessary to ensure that the people responsible face the full force of Australian law.
The vessel will be escorted to Sydney where the master and crew will be questioned by Federal Police officers in relation to the attempt to import drugs into Victoria.
Four men were arrested late last week and charged by the Australian Federal Police in connection with the drug importation attempt.