The turquoise blue ocean and lush greenery of Vanuatu's Havannah Harbour turned into an international crime scene last week after nearly two tonnes of cocaine were found on a half-sunken sailboat.
The drugs, believed to be headed to Australia, were found by the Vanuatu Police Force after the turned-over sailboat sparked concerns from locals.
It's believed the boat was docked offshore near Havannah Harbour, but a storm blew it up onto the reef, tipping it over in North West Efate.
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According to local media reports, two men approached a man in the middle of the night, asking for his help to dig the sand out from under the boat to get it sailing again.
The local resident found the interaction suspicious and called police, leading to the discovery of 1.6 tonnes of bagged white powder on the deck of the boat.
Forensic testing later confirmed the drugs were allegedly "pure cocaine".
A Lithuanian man and a British national have been arrested and are being detained in relation to the alleged smuggling incident.
Nine.com.au has reached out to the VPF for comment about when they are expected to front court.
Local news outlet The Daily Post reported on Tuesday that AFP officers were already monitoring the boat and were planning to arrest the crew when they arrived in Australia, but the sailboats' crash onto a coral reef derailed the alleged drug smugglers' plans.
While the AFP pointed nine.com.au to the Vanuatu Police Force for comment, the South Pacific branch of the federal agency posted about the drug bust on Facebook last week, confirming they were assisting in the investigation.
"At the request from VPF, the AFP is working side by side with the VPF, providing operational, specialist investigative and forensic support to their investigation into a yacht that had run aground close to the shoreline in the harbour, believed to have contained the drugs," the Facebook post reads.
As the investigation continues, Vanuatu locals told nine.com.au they have growing concerns over the South Pacific drug trade.
One Port Villa resident, who has asked to remain anonymous, says locals are "terrified" that illegal drugs will eventually find their way onshore, adding they don't want their peaceful island paradise overrun by alleged syndicates.
Last week's bust is the latest in a string of operations dedicated to cracking down on alleged drug smugglers routing through the South Pacific to reach Australia by the AFP and their Pacific partners.
The route has become so popular that the AFP announced a focused South Pacific organised crime branch in collaboration with the Fiji Police Force in December last year.
"Australia's insatiable appetite for illegal commodities, and the high price the Australian public pays to consume these really dangerous substances, is putting significant pressure on our Pacific family,'' Commissioner Barrett said at the time.
"While the majority of these drugs are still trafficked to Australia, there is a growing concern that organised crime is now sending illicit commodities directly to the Pacific to find another market."
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