Australian police say they have made the country’s largest-ever cocaine seizure after discovering 2.7 tonnes of the drug hidden in underground bunkers beneath shipping containers on a semi-rural property near Sydney.
The Australian Federal Police said officers raided a property in Londonderry, in north-west Sydney, on Friday as part of a multi-agency investigation into an alleged organised crime network operating along Australia’s east coast. Investigators said the cocaine was stored in plastic tubs and concealed beneath false flooring inside shipping containers.
Police estimate the haul has a street value of about A$816 million and could have been broken down into roughly three million street-level deals.
Two men, aged 21 and 25, were arrested at the property after allegedly trying to flee when police arrived. They have been charged with possessing a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported drug. If convicted, they could face life imprisonment. Both were refused bail and are expected to return to court in August.
TRENDING TODAY
The seizure is part of Operation Minjiang, a joint investigation involving the Australian Federal Police, Queensland Police and other law-enforcement agencies. Officials say the operation began after police in Queensland discovered cocaine near Midge Point in May while responding to reports of a burned-out truck near a boat ramp.
Investigators allege the cocaine found in Sydney was imported into Australia near Midge Point in north Queensland before being transported south under the direction of a Sydney-based organised crime group. Authorities have not publicly identified the full network behind the alleged plot.
The AFP said the drugs were hidden in an elaborate bunker system. Investigators reportedly noticed disturbed earth near the shipping containers, leading them to the concealed storage area underneath. Photos released by authorities showed large quantities of packaged drugs stacked in containers and underground spaces.
Officials said the scale of the seizure shows the sophistication and determination of criminal networks attempting to move large quantities of drugs into Australia. AFP Commander Stephen Jay said the alleged plot demonstrated how far organised crime groups are willing to go in pursuit of profit.
The operation has also led to other seizures, including cocaine and methamphetamine, bringing the total amount of drugs connected to the investigation to more than three tonnes. Police have charged several people in connection with different parts of the alleged importation and transport network.
Authorities are also investigating a vessel known as MV Wealth, which police allege may have been connected to the importation. The ship has been detained by authorities in the Solomon Islands for further investigation. Officials said they are still working to determine where the drugs originated and who else may have been involved.
Australia is a highly profitable market for cocaine because of its high street prices, making it a target for international trafficking groups. Law-enforcement agencies have warned that criminal networks are increasingly using complex maritime routes, remote coastlines and hidden storage sites to move drugs into the country.
The Londonderry bust is now Australia’s biggest cocaine seizure and one of the largest drug seizures in the country’s history. Police say the investigation remains active and more arrests are possible.
Why It Matters
The seizure matters because it shows the scale of organised crime operations targeting Australia’s drug market. A hidden 2.7-tonne cocaine stockpile under a Sydney property suggests traffickers were using sophisticated concealment methods and long-distance transport routes to move drugs across the country.
What Comes Next
Police will continue investigating the alleged organised crime network, the MV Wealth vessel and the origin of the cocaine. The two men arrested at the Londonderry property are expected back in court in August, while authorities pursue others allegedly connected to the importation and distribution scheme.
A report said the investigation began after a burnt-out truck near Mackay led police to Australia’s largest cocaine seizure.
A burnt out truck near Mackay has led police to the biggest cocaine bust in Australian history. Almost three tonnes was seized in Sydney, worth close to $1bn. pic.twitter.com/x9zK6SOUBi
— 7NEWS Queensland (@7NewsBrisbane) June 22, 2026
Police have seized in #australia📷 2.7 tonnes of cocaine worth $816 million in the country’s largest drug bust, discovering the stash buried in underground bunkers with false floors on a property near Richmond in northwest #Sydney pic.twitter.com/GBs8J9QqpM
— Cubano/Cuban (@cubaustralia) June 22, 2026
