Record 3 tons of cocaine found buried underground in Australia

Australian police have made a record seizure of cocaine, confiscating approximately 3 tons of the drug hidden in plastic tubs buried underground on the outskirts of Sydney. The haul, discovered on Friday, is the largest cocaine seizure in Australian history, according to a joint organized crime investigation force.

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Investigations into the origin of the drugs remain ongoing, and we will work with our international and domestic law enforcement partners to identify the criminal syndicates.

Authorities allege that a Sydney-based organized crime group orchestrated the importation. They claim a foreign vessel offloaded the cocaine in northern Queensland, from where it was transported to Sydney for distribution. The seized cocaine would have fetched more than Aus$800 million (approximately US$560 million) on the street, funds that will now not reach organized crime syndicates.

Australian Federal Police Commander Stephen Jay stated that investigations into the origin of the drugs are ongoing, and law enforcement partners will work internationally and domestically to identify the criminal syndicates involved. He emphasized that criminals go to extreme lengths to smuggle drugs into Australia, disregarding the harm caused to communities.

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The cocaine would have been worth more than Aus$800 ($560 million) in street sales -- money that won't make it into the pockets of organized crime.

The operation led to the detention of an alleged mother vessel, the MV Wealth, in the Solomon Islands for further investigation. Pacific Island nations have become a transit point for drug shipments to Australia and New Zealand, originating from as far as South America and Southeast Asia. Police noted that criminals exploit oceans to traffic drugs, showing no regard for borders.

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We know criminals go to extreme lengths, and often risk their own lives, to smuggle drugs into Australia with no regard to the harm they cause to Australian communities.

Officers discovered the cocaine in underground bunkers concealed by false floors at a property in Londonderry, a northwestern suburb of Sydney. Two men, aged 21 and 25, were arrested at the scene after allegedly attempting to flee. They face charges of possessing a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported drug, an offense carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Six other individuals allegedly involved in the importation had been previously arrested and charged.

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Criminals don't care about borders, and they exploit our oceans to traffic drugs.