Australian police find multiple packages of suspected cocaine covered in barnacles washed up on beaches

Australian police are warning the public not to open packages that wash up on Australian beaches after no fewer than 7 barnacle-encrusted packages suspected of containing cocaine were found washed up on beaches down under this weekend.

According to the New York Post, the first package was found Friday morning by a beachgoer in the suburbs of Sydney, who promptly turned the bizarre find over to the authorities. Preliminary testing indicated that the substance was cocaine. UPI noted that six additional packages were found over the weekend washed ashore between Newcastle and Sydney in New South Wales, and that each of the packages had "significant barnacle growth."

It is unclear as of yet how long the packages had been underwater or where they might have come from. While barnacles can begin to form on objects underwater in a matter of a few days, it usually will take some weeks for them to grow to substantial size.

Australian police say the discovery has led to a "wide ranging search," and that they are conducting a further examination on the barnacled cocaine to help uncover clues as to their origin.

Aussie citizens are cautioned not to tamper with or remove any future packages that they might find on the beach.