Australia’s Largest Cocaine Bust Yields 2.7‑Tonnes of Powder

Tue Jun 23 2026 10:12:16 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Australia’s largest cocaine raid grabs 2.7 tonnes from a hidden bunker, rattling the drug trade.

Police seized 2.7 tonnes of cocaine in a secret bunker in western Sydney, worth about A$816 m. Two men aged 21 and 25 were arrested, with charges touching on commercial drug possession. The haul was traced to smuggling from Midge Point in North Queensland, linked to a sophisticated syndicate. Operation Minjiang, launched after a 40 kg find at Midge Point, has since rippled across Queensland and NSW, and a suspected mother vessel was seized off the Solomon Islands. In a market where cocaine sells for around A$300 per gram, the scale of this bust underscores the lucrative nature of the drug trade and the international reach of organised crime.

Australia’s Largest Cocaine Bust Yields 2.7‑Tonnes of Powder

Australia’s Federal Police seized a massive 2.7‑tonne stash of cocaine from a secret bunker in western Sydney, setting a world record for the country’s biggest drug raid.

The haul was found hidden beneath false floors in three shipping containers at a Londonderry property and was valued at A$816 m (≈£433 m). Two men aged 21 and 25 were arrested on scene and charged with possessing a commercial quantity of an outlawed drug.

Investigators say the cocaine was smuggled from the remote coastal town of Midge Point in North Queensland, under the direction of a sophisticated criminal network.

The raid is part of Operation Minjiang, launched after 40 kg of cocaine was found drifting near a boat ramp at Midge Point in May. Police have subsequently charged six others across Queensland and New South Wales.

A mother vessel suspected of being part of the smuggling operation was seized off the Solomon Islands, while the two men face a life sentence if convicted.

In a market where the average price of cocaine is around A$300 per gram, the scale of this bust shows how lucrative the trade remains in Australia and New Zealand, both of which report the highest use rates worldwide.