Record cocaine haul found in backyard bunkers in western Sydney

More than 2½ tonnes of cocaine has been found in underground bunkers at a western Sydney property in what police allege is the largest seizure of the drug in Australia. The discovery at a Londonderry property came amid investigations into a shipment of drugs totalling more than three tonnes. Three shipping containers at the property, with false floors, covered underground bunkers packed with storage tubs full of the drug.

Police say it is the biggest cocaine bust in Australian history. Previously, the largest amount of the drug seized by the AFP was a 2.34-tonne haul found in a fishing boat off K’gari Island in Queensland.

Two men, aged 21 and 25, allegedly tried to run from the Londonderry property when police arrived on Friday. Both were arrested and charged with possessing a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border-controlled drug, which carries a potential life sentence. They have been remanded in custody and are due to face Penrith Local Court on August 13.

The discovery in western Sydney on Friday came through a police operation that began in May when 40kg of cocaine was found in water near a boat ramp north of Mackay, Queensland. On a nearby dock, a torched truck fitted with a crane was also found. But investigators believe the cocaine in the water was only a fraction of the total shipment, allegedly dropped from the MV Wealth to a smaller vessel, a common technique for smuggling drugs into Australia.

The cargo ship has since been detained in Solomon Islands. As the investigation continued in June, another 178kg of cocaine was found inside a van parked at a Mount Cotton home, south-east of Brisbane, along with 142kg of methamphetamine. The property’s owners are not considered suspects, and police believe they were not aware of what was inside the van.

The drugs allegedly came from the same north Queensland importation. A 24-year-old man from Green Valley in western Sydney, who allegedly travelled to north Queensland to collect and transport the drugs, was arrested on Wednesday. Another five men have also been arrested in Queensland in relation to the investigation.

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