Australian police seized a record 2.7 tonnes of cocaine in Sydney and arrested two men following an investigation into an alleged smuggling network.

A routine investigation into packages of cocaine floating off the Queensland coast has led Australian authorities to the biggest cocaine seizure in the country’s history.

Police uncovered 2.7 tonnes of cocaine hidden beneath false floors inside three shipping containers at a property in Londonderry, western Sydney. The haul, discovered on June 27, has an estimated street value of A$816 million (around £433 million or €500 million).

Two men, aged 21 and 25, were arrested during the raid after allegedly trying to flee the scene. They have been charged with possessing a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border-controlled drug. After appearing in court on June 28, both were remanded in custody and could face life imprisonment if convicted.

The investigation began weeks earlier when 40 kilograms of cocaine washed ashore near a boat ramp in the small Queensland town of Midge Point. What initially appeared to be an isolated discovery quickly developed into a far larger investigation, eventually leading detectives to the Sydney property.

Police believe the shipment was brought into Australia through Midge Point on behalf of an organised crime syndicate before being moved south and concealed inside specially built underground bunkers beneath shipping containers.

The operation, known as Operation Minjiang, has already resulted in several arrests across Queensland and New South Wales. Authorities have also detained what they believe is the “mother vessel” used in the smuggling operation in the Solomon Islands, where investigations are continuing with international law enforcement partners.

Australian Federal Police Commander Stephen Jay said the case highlights the scale of modern drug trafficking operations and the lengths criminal networks are prepared to go to in order to move large quantities of cocaine into Australia.

Investigators are now working to identify everyone involved in the importation, from those who organised the shipment overseas to those responsible for distributing the drugs once they reached Australia.

Australia has long been one of the world’s most profitable destinations for cocaine traffickers. With street prices reaching around A$300 per gram, organised crime groups can make enormous profits by successfully smuggling even relatively small shipments into the country. A seizure of this size represents a significant financial blow to the criminal network behind it.

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Australia Seizes Record 2.7 Tonnes of Cocaine