Australian police conducted a significant operation, seizing a historic 3 tons of cocaine in a record-breaking drug bust near Sydney. Authorities discovered the cocaine concealed in plastic bins, buried underground, on the outskirts of the city. This operation represents the largest cocaine seizure in the history of Australia.
A joint organized crime task force was behind the successful operation. According to police, an organized crime group based in Sydney coordinated the offloading of cocaine from a foreign vessel in northern Queensland. The intention was to move the drugs to Sydney for further distribution.
Australian Federal Police Commander Stephen Jay stated that investigations into the drugs’ origin are ongoing. Efforts continue with both international and domestic law enforcement agencies to identify the criminal networks involved. The cocaine, with a street value exceeding Aus$800 million ($560 million), would have significantly funded organized crime.
The funds from this cocaine haul will no longer benefit organized crime groups, Commander Jay confirmed at a news conference.
Images released by police displayed the drugs concealed in large containers while officers collected evidence and detained suspects. Authorities explained that criminals often put lives at risk to smuggle drugs into Australia, ignoring the harm done to local communities.
The MV Wealth, a vessel allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade, was detained by authorities in the Solomon Islands. The ship is believed to be part of the drug importation process into Queensland. Pacific island nations serve as transit points for cocaine and methamphetamine smuggled to Australia and New Zealand from South America and Southeast Asia.
On Friday, police found the cocaine stored in underground bunkers, hidden by false floors, at a property in Londonderry, a suburb in northwestern Sydney. Two men, aged 21 and 25, were arrested after attempting to flee. They face charges for possessing unlawful drug quantities, potentially leading to life sentences.
In a photo provided by the Australian Federal Police, officers are shown arresting a man in Londonderry, on June 19, 2026. Police have already charged six others allegedly involved in the cocaine importation, including a 31-year-old woman accused of storing the drugs at a safehouse.
Cocaine-related deaths in Australia have risen dramatically, with a 28% increase to 141 deaths in 2024, as revealed by a report from the Penington Institute. The institute investigates drug use and related trends.
This seizure follows a series of significant drug busts in Australia. Last September, police arrested three dockworkers after finding over 1,000 pounds of cocaine hidden in a shipping container at the Sydney waterfront. During the same period, the dismantling of a drug trafficking network, known as “The Commission,” was announced. This syndicate allegedly brought more than a ton of cocaine into Australia within a few months.
In December 2024, 2.3 tons of cocaine were seized, and 13 arrests were made following a fishing boat’s breakdown off Queensland’s coast. This recent bust marks the second underground drug operation discovered this month. Earlier in June, U.S. authorities unveiled a 2,000-foot-long drug tunnel between Mexico and California featuring electricity, reinforced walls, ventilation, and a rail system.
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