Australian police are investigating after 50kg of suspected cocaine was discovered near the body of a diver on a riverbank in New South Wales.
A man wearing high-end diving equipment was found unconscious near the Hunter River in Newcastle, just over 100 miles north of Sydney, police said.
Despite being attended to by paramedics, he died at the scene.
Several packages containing a white powder believed to be cocaine were found nearby.
Detective Superintendent Robert Critchlow said detectives are trying to establish whether the diver and the drugs are linked.
They “may well be”, he added, but said he and his colleagues are “open-minded as to the options in front of us”.
An overseas-registered ship docked near the crime scene has been searched and the crew interviewed, Mr Critchlow said.
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Authorities are seeking help in identifying two small boats reportedly seen near the vessel on Sunday night.
Surrounding waters are being searched by divers, assisted by officers from the Australian Border Force.
