Australian beaches littered with cocaine. Concerned police call for vigilant residents

Seven suspicious packages were discovered along various beaches in New South Wales, Australia, thought to contain cocaine. They were found strewn between Newcastle and Sydney. The first package was detected in Magenta on the central coast around 4:00 AM Eastern Time on Friday, December 22.

An exhaustive search of the area over the weekend led to additional discoveries. More parcels were uncovered at Manly Beach in Sydney, Blacksmiths Beach on Lake Macquarie, and Avoca Beach on the central coast on Sunday, December 24.

And that was not the conclusion of the matter. On December 26, a local fisherman reported the discovery of another package at Barrenjoey Headland to the police.

In total, the packages retrieved amounted to approximately 273 lbs of drugs. The police have urged residents who come across similar parcels to inform the local authorities immediately.

"Do not touch them. We would like to warn residents against removing or opening any packages, and to call the police immediately upon discovery," cautioned the police in their social media announcement.

As the "missing shipments" search continues, the police are working tirelessly to identify the persons responsible for this illegal transport.

As highlighted by the smh.com.au portal, the Border Guard, Air Command, Naval Command, and Marine Rescuers are all lending their efforts to the police to understand the precise circumstances surrounding the appearance of the packages on the beach.