Australian federal police have announced the country's largest ever cocaine seizure, uncovering 2.7 tonnes of the drug with an estimated street value of $816 million at a semi-rural property in Londonderry, north-west Sydney. The discovery marks the biggest Australian drug bust in nearly 20 years, second only to the 4.5 tonnes of MDMA seized in Melbourne in 2007.
Arrests and Charges
Two men, aged 21 and 25, were arrested on Friday after allegedly attempting to flee from police during a raid conducted as part of Operation Minjiang, a joint taskforce investigating a drug ring along Australia's east coast. The AFP said the cocaine was found in plastic tubs hidden in underground bunkers beneath shipping containers, concealed by false flooring.
Both men have been charged with possessing a commercial quantity of an illegal drug, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. They were refused bail on Saturday and are scheduled to appear before Penrith local court on 13 August.
Operation Minjiang and Broader Seizures
The AFP commander Stephen Jay stated that the alleged plot demonstrated the highly organised nature of criminal networks. "There'll be some soul-searching, no doubt, about losing Australia's largest quantity of cocaine," he said. Since May, Operation Minjiang has also seized 178kg of cocaine and 142kg of methamphetamine, bringing total drug seizures to over three tonnes.
Police allege the cocaine was imported near Midge Point in north Queensland and transported south under the direction of a Sydney organised crime group. The alleged mother vessel, MV Wealth, has been detained in Solomon Islands for further investigation. The vessel is registered in Belize, but the origin of the drugs remains under investigation.
Link to the Coconut Cartel
Police sources allege the arrested men were foot soldiers in a massive operation involving the Coconut Cartel syndicate, which includes former members of a prominent Sydney crime family. Queensland police acting chief superintendent Troy Pukallus praised the multi-agency investigation, saying, "What began with the actions of Mackay police … evolved into a sophisticated, multi-agency investigation targeting an organised criminal network."
