Australia records its largest cocaine seizure, 2.7 tons uncovered near Sydney

Police seized about 2.7 metric tons of cocaine – the biggest haul in Australian history – hidden in underground bunkers beneath three shipping containers on a semi‑rural property in Londonderry, western Sydney. The drugs were packed in plastic tubs and were estimated to be worth A$816 million (≈US$572 million, €500 million), equating to roughly three million street‑level deals.

Two men, aged 21 and 25, were arrested at the scene after attempting to flee. They have been charged with possessing a commercial quantity of an illegal drug and face potential life imprisonment. The seizure is part of “Operation Minjiang”, a multi‑state investigation that began in May and has now seized more than three tons of illicit substances, including earlier finds of 178 kg of cocaine and 142 kg of methamphetamine.

Investigators say the cocaine arrived by sea at Midge Point on Queensland’s north coast before being trucked about 1,800 km to Sydney. Authorities also suspect the shipment came from the same “mother ship”, the MV Wealth, a Belize‑flagged cargo vessel seized in the Solomon Islands. Police highlighted the sophistication of the organised‑crime network and the extensive use of Queensland’s 13,000‑km coastline for drug smuggling.