Supply Boat Caught Smuggling Drugs Now Issued a Distress Call off Australia

French troops boarded the vessel off Polynesia and seized nearly 5 tons of cocaine (High Commissioner of French Polynesia)

Published Mar 13, 2026 8:33 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

Nearly two months after French authorities intercepted a small vessel smuggling a large amount of cocaine across the Pacific, the same vessel has now turned up off Australia and issued a distress call. ABC News Australia reports the vessel was escorted into Sydney harbor on Friday, March 13, after the Australian Maritime Safety Authority became involved.

The vessel named Raider is reported to have made a distress call on Thursday, reporting a shortage of food and fuel. A representative of the International Transport Workers Federation told ABC News that when they contacted the ship, they were told it was down to just 200 liters of water for the 11 crew onboard.

AMSA coordinated the response, including the provisioning of supplies to the vessel. It escorted the Raider to a detention area in Sydney while reporting they were also working with the Australian Border Force and New South Wales Police.

The Raider first drew attention from the French Navy, which boarded the vessel in French Polynesian waters on January 16. A search discovered 96 bales containing a total of 4.87 tons of cocaine. In a decision that was later questioned by some, the French forces decided to seize the drugs but released the vessel and its crew. The cocaine was disposed of in the ocean, and the Raider was permitted to continue on its voyage.

Authorities noted at the time that the drugs were likely being smuggled to Australia and were not destined for French Polynesia. They said the region had become part of a known smuggling route for drugs from South America.

The ship next turned up in the Cook Islands after issuing another distress call. It stopped in the Cook Islands to make engine repairs. Later, ABC News reports it was heading toward Australia but briefly diverted toward New Caledonia before arriving off the Australian coast.

ITF’s Australian coordinator, Ian Bray, told ABC News the crew is from Ecuador and Honduras, and they were hired in December to sail the vessel from Panama to Australia. They understood they were delivering the Raider to its new owners in Australia.

ABC reports the crew has not been arrested. They are unlikely to face any charges, as the drug smuggling was discovered outside Australian authority.

The crew is expected to be held in immigration detention, reports ABC. AMSA is checking the Raider to determine if the vessel is seaworthy. The crew from the Raider is likely to be repatriated to Central America, while it is unclear what will happen to the vessel.