Australian police have made the country's largest-ever cocaine bust, seizing 2.7 metric tons of the drug worth A$816 million from a property near Sydney. The cocaine was found buried in bunkers beneath shipping containers. Two men, 21 and 25, were arrested and face life in prison. The seizure is part of Operation Minjiang, which targets a syndicate that allegedly imported the drugs via Queensland.
Londonderry cocaine seizure
- ▪Australian police seized a record 2.7 metric tons of cocaine from a property in Londonderry, a suburb on Sydney's western edge
- ▪The seizure is Australia's largest-ever cocaine bust, surpassing a 2.34-metric-ton haul in 2024
- ▪The seized cocaine has an estimated street value of 816 million Australian dollars ($572 million)
- ▪The drugs were found in plastic tubs buried in underground bunkers concealed by false floors inside three shipping containers
Criminal charges
- ▪Two men, aged 21 and 25, were arrested at the property on June 19, 2026, after allegedly attempting to flee from police
- ▪The two men were charged with possessing a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported drug, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment
- ▪The arrested men were refused bail and are scheduled to appear in Penrith local court on August 13, 2026
Coconut Cartel syndicate
- ▪A Sydney-based organized crime group allegedly directed the transport of the drugs to the city
- ▪Police sources allege the arrested men were "foot soldiers" for the Coconut Cartel syndicate, which reportedly includes members of a prominent Sydney crime family
Operation Minjiang taskforce
- ▪The raid was part of Operation Minjiang, a joint taskforce headquartered in Queensland investigating a drug ring on Australia's east coast
- ▪Since starting in May, Operation Minjiang has also seized 178 kg of cocaine and 142 kg of methamphetamine
Queensland import route
- ▪High prices for cocaine in Australia make the country a lucrative market for drug traffickers
- ▪Police allege the cocaine was imported into Australia near Midge Point in north Queensland and transported 1,800 km by road to Sydney
- ▪The suspected "mother ship" for the import, the MV Wealth, has been detained by authorities in the Solomon Islands
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