Australian drug bust uncovers 3 tons of cocaine hidden underground

Australian authorities have made a record-breaking seizure of cocaine, uncovering 2.7 metric tons (approximately three tons) of the drug hidden in underground bunkers on a property in Sydney's western outskirts. The discovery, made on June 19, marks the largest haul of cocaine in Australia's history.

The illicit substance was found concealed within plastic tubs buried in underground bunkers beneath three shipping containers at a semirural property in Londonderry. Police estimate the street value of the seized cocaine to be A$816 million (US$572 million). Two Sydney men, aged 21 and 25, were arrested at the scene and charged with possessing a commercial quantity of an illicit drug, offenses that carry a potential life sentence.

This seizure surpasses Australia's previous record of 2.34 metric tons, confiscated in 2024 from a fishing boat off the coast of Queensland. Authorities allege that the cocaine found in Sydney was transported by boat to Midge Point in Queensland and then moved by road to Sydney by an organized crime group, covering a distance of 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles).

Further investigation suggests a connection to a previous seizure of 178 kilograms of cocaine and 142 kilograms of methamphetamine in Queensland. Six individuals have already been charged in relation to that operation. Police are investigating the MV Wealth, a Belize-flagged cargo ship currently seized in the Solomon Islands, as a potential "mother ship" involved in the smuggling operation. Australian Federal Police Commander Stephen Jay noted that organized crime groups increasingly target Australia's extensive coastline for drug smuggling, driven by the high prices Australians pay for cocaine.

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Organized crime groups were increasingly targeting Queensland’s 13,000-kilometer (8,000-mile) coastline to smuggle drugs.