Aussies rescued at sea now wanted for cocaine smuggling: report

Three Aussies who were rescued at sea two weeks ago are now wanted on suspicion of smuggling cocaine, authorities said Tuesday.

Mate Stipinovich, 49, Karl Whitburn, 45, and Aristides Avlontis, 36, were reportedly saved while hanging onto a cooler about 17 miles from Australia’s southwest coast on Feb. 1.

The three men told police their boat capsized while they were fishing, and they were initially praised for launching an emergency signal and wearing life vests.

But six days later, a package carrying nearly 100 pounds of cocaine washed ashore not far from where the men were rescued, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

The day after that, an overturned boat carrying 700 pounds of cocaine in eight similar packages was discovered nearby, police said.

Authorities are still investigating exactly what caused the boat to capsize, according to the ABC. Investigators believe the cocaine was initially dropped in the ocean, and the three suspects were in charge of fishing it out and transporting it to shore.