Australia Seizes 2.7 Tonnes of Cocaine in Biggest Bust Ever
In a dramatic police operation, Australian Federal Police seized more than 2.7 tonnes of cocaine from a concealed underground bunker beneath a Londonderry property. The drugs, valued at roughly A$816 million (about £433 million or €500 million), were found hidden beneath false floors in three shipping containers.
The surface raid, carried out on Friday, caught two men aged 21 and 25 in the act of attempting to flee. Both were arrested on‑site and charged with possession of a commercial quantity of a border‑controlled drug. They have since been remanded and will face a potential life sentence if convicted.
Investigators say the cocaine was smuggled into Australia via Midge Point in North Queensland under the direction of a well‑known organised‑crime group. The operation, known as Operation Minjiang, was launched in May after law‑enforcement officials recovered 40 kg of powder floating off a boat ramp in the same town.
The Londonderry bust is just one piece of a wider effort. A further six individuals across Queensland and New South Wales have been arrested, and a suspected mother vessel reportedly involved in the smuggling round has been detained in the Solomon Islands.
Despite the remote location of the hideout, the Australian market remains a highly lucrative target for drug traffickers. Underground cocaine typically fetches around A$300 per gram, according to a university‑run illegal‑drugs monitoring service. The UN World Drug Report highlighted that residents of Australia and New Zealand rank among the highest cocaine users worldwide.
“The plot behind this operation demonstrates just how highly organised and determined these criminal networks are, and the extreme lengths they go to in pursuit of profit,” Australian Federal Police commander Stephen Jay remarked. “We are working closely with international and domestic law‑enforcement partners to fully uncover the syndicates and individuals involved in this drug import scheme.”
Images from the raid show a heap of large plastic bags— each containing several drug packages— sprawled across the bunker floor. The pictures, taken by the Australian Federal Police, illustrate the sheer scale of the seized stockpile.
