In brief
The Australian Federal Police took 2.7 tonnes of cocaine – worth an estimated A$816 million – from an underground bunker in western Sydney, making it the country’s largest drug seizure ever. The drugs, hidden beneath false floors in shipping containers, were smuggled from North Queensland’s small town of Midge Point on orders from an organised crime group. Two young men were arrested on the spot and face life sentences. The raid, part of Operation Minjiang launched after earlier discoveries at Midge Point, highlights the high value and prevalence of cocaine in Australia and New Zealand.
Australian police have seized 2.7 tonnes of cocaine – the country's largest ever cocaine bust – from an underground bunker system in western Sydney.
These drugs, estimated to be worth A$816 million ($433 million), were hidden beneath false floors inside three shipping containers at a property in Londonderry.
Two men, aged 21 and 25, tried to flee and were arrested on the scene. They face up to life in prison if convicted of possessing a commercial‑quantity illegal drug.
The cocaine was reportedly smuggled into Australia from Midge Point in North Queensland on the orders of an organised criminal group. Police say the raid was part of "Operation Minjiang" launched after 40 kg of cocaine was found floating in the water off a boat ramp at Midge Point.
- Additional six people in Queensland and New South Wales were arrested in related investigations.
- A suspected "mother vessel" involved in the smuggling operation was detained in the Solomon Islands.
- Australia’s lucrative drug market sees cocaine fetching roughly A$300 per gram.
- Australians and New Zealanders have the highest cocaine use rates worldwide, according to the UN World Drug Report.
Australian Federal Police Commander Stephen Jay said the plot shows "how highly organised and determined these criminal networks are, and the extreme lengths they are willing to go to in pursuit of profit." Investigations into the drugs’ origin remain ongoing, with continued collaboration across domestic and international law‑enforcement partners.
