Australian police have seized a record 2.7 metric tons (3 tons) of cocaine hidden in underground bunkers on the outskirts of Sydney, marking the largest cocaine haul in the country's history. The drugs were found on June 19 in plastic tubs buried beneath three shipping containers on a property in the suburb of Londerry, a semi-rural area of greater Sydney. The containers had false floors concealing the cocaine, which police estimate had a street value of 816 million Australian dollars (US$572 million).
Two Sydney residents, men aged 21 and 25, were arrested at the property and charged with possessing a commercial quantity of an illicit drug. They face potential sentences of life in prison. Six others had previously been charged in connection with the cocaine and 142 kilograms (313 pounds) of methamphetamine seized in a related investigation.
Investigation and International Links
Police allege that a Sydney-based organized crime group arranged for a foreign vessel to offload the cocaine in northern Queensland before transporting it to Sydney for distribution. The MV Wealth, a Belize-flagged cargo ship, has been detained by authorities in the Solomon Islands for further investigation. The vessel is suspected of being part of the illicit drug importation network.
The Pacific Island states have increasingly become transit points for cocaine and methamphetamine shipments to Australia and New Zealand, with origins as far as South America and Southeast Asia. Police emphasized that criminals exploit maritime routes to traffic drugs, often risking their own lives with no regard for the harm caused to communities.
Broader Implications
The seizure comes amid a surge in cocaine-related deaths in Australia, which rose 28% to a record 141 in 2024. Australian Federal Police Commander Stephen Jay stated that investigations into the origin of the drugs remain ongoing, with collaboration from international and domestic law enforcement partners to identify the criminal syndicates involved.
The previous record cocaine haul in Australia was 2.34 metric tons (2.58 tons), seized in 2024 from a fishing boat near K’gari (formerly Fraser Island) off the Queensland coast. Police suspect the recent shipment may be linked to a 178-kilogram (392-pound) cocaine seizure in Queensland, where six individuals have already been charged.
The operation underscores the challenges law enforcement faces in combating transnational drug trafficking networks, particularly in remote and sparsely populated regions.