Australian Police Seize Largest Cocaine Haul in History

Australian authorities seized a record 3 tons of cocaine hidden in plastic tubs buried underground on the outskirts of Sydney. This marks the largest cocaine haul in the nation’s history, according to a joint organized crime investigation force.

Police claim a syndicate based in Sydney arranged for a foreign vessel to deliver the cocaine to northern Queensland before moving it to Sydney for distribution. Australian Federal Police Commander Stephen Jay stated that investigations into the drug’s origin are ongoing and they are collaborating with domestic and international law enforcement agencies to identify the responsible groups.

The seized cocaine was estimated to be worth more than Aus$800 million ($560 million) in street sales. Commander Jay emphasized that this money will not reach organized crime outfits.

Authorities released several images of the operation. These photos show the drugs in large containers and officers gathering evidence and detaining a suspect. One undated photo provided by the Australian Federal Police displays a quantity of cocaine bagged and exhibited in Sydney.

Commander Jay remarked on criminals’ extreme measures to smuggle drugs, with no concern for the harm caused to Australian communities. Notably, the MV Wealth, suspected of being involved in cocaine importation into Queensland, is detained for further investigation in the Solomon Islands.

Pacific Island states have become transit points for cocaine and methamphetamine shipments destined for Australia and New Zealand, carried from South America and Southeast Asia. Jay acknowledged that criminals exploit borders and use ocean routes for drug trafficking.

Police discovered the cocaine last Friday, in plastic tubs buried in underground bunkers, hidden by false floors. These were found at the rear of a property in Londonderry, a semi-rural northwest suburb in greater Sydney.

Two men, aged 21 and 25, were arrested after attempting escape. They are charged with possessing a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported drug, an offense that incurs a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Authorities previously arrested six others allegedly involved in the cocaine importation. Among them is a 31-year-old woman accused of living at a suspected safehouse connected to the operation and complicity in storing the drugs.

Cocaine-related deaths surged 28 percent to a record 141 in 2024, according to a Penington Institute report on drug overdoses. The cocaine seizure follows other recent major drug busts in Australia. Last September, police arrested three dockworkers after over 1,000 pounds of cocaine were found hidden behind a false wall in a shipping container in Sydney.

Additionally, officers dismantled a drug trafficking ring termed ‘The Commission’ in the same month, responsible for importing more than a ton of cocaine into Australia in a matter of months. In December 2024, police seized 2.3 tons of cocaine and arrested 13 individuals following a fishing boat breakdown off the Queensland coast.

Earlier this month, U.S. authorities uncovered a sophisticated 2,000-foot-long drug tunnel between Mexico and California. This tunnel featured electricity, reinforced walls, ventilation, and a rail system.