The AFP has seized roughly 41kg of cocaine from two refrigerated containers imported into Port Botany, Sydney.
The first container, imported from Chile, was examined by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers at the Sydney Container Examination Facility on 23 January, 2025. They found 20 bricks of cocaine, estimated to weigh 1kg each, in the container's back wall panels.
The second container, imported from Belgium, was examined by ABF officers the next day (24 January, 2025) and was also found to contain 21 bricks of cocaine, estimated at 1kg each.
AFP investigators took possession of the cocaine from both shipments.
The AFP and ABF have observed this attempted drug import trend from the past two years in which criminal syndicates hide cocaine in refrigerated containers used by legitimate businesses to import goods into Sydney.
Syndicate members then try to break into docks, container facilities or other storage areas to remove the drugs.
The AFP and ABF have observed a significant increase in instances of this since April 2023, specifically with cocaine. This has resulted in the seizure of more than one tonne of the drugs to date
Both agencies hold grave concerns the practice will result in harm to the safety and security of innocent workers at the facilities where criminals try to retrieve drugs to then sell onto the community.
Authorities are now actively targeting refrigerated containers coming into Sydney, with the AFP interested in information about, or from, people who have been asked to take delivery of, or store, a refrigerated industrial container.
AFP Detective Superintendent Peter Fogarty said investigators had also identified that cocaine was being concealed in the engine compartments of the specialist refrigerated containers used by legitimate companies to ship goods such as berries that needed refrigeration.
"The AFP attends Port Botany on a regular basis and has seized multiple separate containers, each containing between 20 and 40 one-kilogram blocks of cocaine, along with tracking devices," Det-Supt Fogarty said.
"We believe these tracking devices are used by transnational serious organised crime syndicate members to identify and monitor the containers containing the illicit drugs once they arrive in Australia.
"These syndicate members then wait until they can identify an opportunity to break into docks, storage yards, warehouses or other facilities to access the drugs."
Det-Supt Fogarty said this practice was extremely dangerous and put people's lives at risk.
"Our message to these criminal syndicates is we are on to you, and we will continue to actively target refrigerated containers coming into Sydney to stop this dangerous behaviour," he said
Four men who pleaded guilty to accessing refrigerated containers concealing cocaine will be sentenced in February, 2025.
"Illicit drug use in Australia bankrolls dangerous and brutal criminals who undermine our national security and our economy, and make our suburbs and roads less safe.
"AFP investigators follow every lead to track the origins of cocaine seized and are working with our international partners to identify the organised crime syndicates behind these importations," Det-Supt Fogarty said.
ABF Superintendent Jared Leighton said these are two significant detections for our Australian Border Force officers.
"The ABF works hand in hand with commercial partners, licenced depots and logistics companies in key areas to identify and address security and accessibility risks, but also in its approach to tackling organised criminal behaviour," Superintendent Leighton said.
"Our ABF officers work around the clock to examine shipments for abnormalities, critically reviewing containers in their entirety. These seizures are strong examples of the excellent work of our officers, detecting unique ways criminal syndicates attempt to infiltrate our borders,
"Criminal syndicates will attempt to exploit any vulnerability in our border controls; infiltration of cargo supply chains is not a problem unique to Australia. Law enforcement agencies across the globe are dedicating significant resources to combat the influence of organised crime in cargo and traveller supply chains.
"The ABF and AFP, along with our state, territory and international law enforcement and border agency partners, are all united in our approach to disrupt and dismantle organised criminal syndicates, and stop the insidious harm they bring to our communities," Superintendent Leighton said.
