Australian Federal Police seized 2.7 tonnes of cocaine in an underground bunker at Londonderry, western Sydney, marking the country’s largest drug bust ever.
The cocaine, valued at an estimated A$816 million (£433 million, €500 million) on the street, was concealed in compartments beneath false floors in three shipping containers at a property in Londonderry.
Two men, aged 21 and 25, allegedly attempted to flee when police arrived. They were arrested on the scene and charged with possessing a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border‑controlled drug. Both are remanded in custody and face life imprisonment if convicted.
The raid was part of “Operation Minjiang,” launched in May after a 40 kg shipment of cocaine was discovered floating off a boat ramp at Midge Point, North Queensland. Police also detained a suspected “mother vessel” in the Solomon Islands and arrested six other people in Queensland and New South Wales.
Australia remains a lucrative market for cocaine, which typically sells for around A$300 per gram. An illegal drug monitoring system run by the University of New South Wales notes that Australians and New Zealanders have the highest cocaine use rates worldwide.
Australian Federal Police Commander Stephen Jay said the plot demonstrated how highly organised and determined criminal networks are, and the extreme lengths they will go for profit. Ongoing investigations will seek to identify the syndicates and others involved in this smuggling attempt.
