In brief
Australian Federal Police uncovered 2.7 tonnes of cocaine—worth roughly A$816 million—in a clandestine bunker beneath shipping containers in Londonderry, western Sydney. The operation, dubbed 'Operation Minjiang', followed earlier finds of 40 kg in North Queensland's Midge Point and led to arrests of two men aged 21 and 25, who have been remanded on charges of possession of commercial quantities of a border‑controlled drug. Investigators suspect a structured crime network that smuggled the drugs from the Solomon Islands, consolidating a global illicit trafficking scheme. The raid underscores the huge domestic market for cocaine in Australia, where the drug sells for around A$300 per gram, and highlights rising addiction rates as reported by the UN World Drug Report.
Australia Seizes 2.7 Tonnes of Cocaine in Largest Ever Raid
Australian police have seized 2.7 tonnes of cocaine, the country’s largest ever drug bust, from a hidden bunker system in an underground bunker under false floors in London, western Sydney.
The seized drugs, with an estimated street value of A$816 million (about £433 million or €500 million), were found in compartments beneath false floors in three shipping containers at a property in Londonderry.
Two men aged 21 and 25, who tried to flee when police arrived, were arrested on the scene and charged with possessing a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border‑controlled drug.
Police say the cocaine was smuggled into Australia through Midge Point, a small town in North Queensland, on the orders of an organised crime group.
Following a court appearance, the two men were remanded in custody and face potential life imprisonment if convicted.
Raid on the Londonderry property, part of "Operation Minjiang", began in May after 40 kg of cocaine was found floating off a boat ramp at Midge Point.
The operation has also led to arrests in Queensland and New South Wales and the detention of a suspected “mother vessel” operating in the Solomon Islands.
Despite the country's remote location, Australia remains a lucrative market for cocaine, with the drug typically selling for about A$300 per gram, according to a monitoring system run by the University of New South Wales.
Australian and New Zealand users have the highest cocaine consumption rates globally, as highlighted by last year’s UN World Drug Report.
Australian Federal Police Commander Stephen Jay commented that the plot demonstrated "how highly organised and determined these criminal networks are, and the extreme lengths they are willing to go to in pursuit of profit." He added: "Investigations into the drugs’ origin remain ongoing, and we will work with international and domestic partners to identify the syndicates involved."
Source: BBC News – Live article, 22 June 2026.
