DRUG BUST AT BONDI HOTEL BAR

An alleged principal suspect in Australia's biggest cocaine bust was
arrested in the bar of a Bondi hotel as the Olympic Opening Ceremony
was being shown on television.

Thomas McCaffrey, an English-born alleged illegal immigrant, appeared
in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court yesterday where he was formally
refused bail. He was remanded in custody to appear in St James Court on
October 3.

McCaffrey, 43, was charged with the importation of illegal drugs,
possessing the proceeds of crime and making a false statement in a
passport application.

His arrest marks the climax of Operation Shard, a joint Australian
Federal Police and Customs Service task force which carried out the
seizure of $140 million worth of cocaine near Broken Bay on February 1
this year.

They swooped on the Southampton-registered 13m Nicholson-class yacht
Ngaire Wha arresting the three-man crew and three others waiting on the
shore and seizing half a tonne of cocaine wrapped in hessian sacks.

The yacht had been under surveillance for almost 18 months with the
cooperation of authorities in Britain, New Zealand, South America and
Interpol.

McCaffrey was drinking with five friends in the Blue Chip Bar of the
Swiss Grand Hotel on Bondi's Campbell Parade when Federal Police
officers made their arrest.