The AFP has dismantled an Australian criminal network allegedly importing and manufacturing hundreds of kilograms of cocaine under the direction of a Colombian organised crime syndicate.
Nine people have been arrested across Queensland, the Northern Territory and New South Wales overnight and charged with a variety of serious drug and money laundering offences carrying maximum penalties of up to life imprisonment.
A man who the AFP will allege directed the Australian activities of a Colombian-based organised crime group was arrested in Darwin. It will be alleged the man, 33, received instructions from overseas about a shipment of cocaine smuggled into NSW.
A multi-state AFP operation tracked the syndicate allegedly couriering the cocaine, which was suspended in another substance inside plastic buckets, from Sydney to a purpose-built extraction shed on a rural property at Durong, which is about 300km northwest of Brisbane.
Five men and a woman were arrested last night in Queensland, including two men at the rural property, where they were allegedly extracting and manufacturing commercial quantities of cocaine.
One man, aged 35, was arrested at his Gold Coast home, while another, 31, was arrested at his Brisbane residence on charges related to organising and facilitating this venture, which police will allege could have produced 700kg of cocaine.
The 31-year-old man allegedly helped organise the construction of the Durong extraction facility and used suspected criminal proceeds to pay for items the syndicate required to make it operational.
A western Sydney man, 38, was arrested north of Newcastle as he drove back to Sydney from Queensland. When AFP officers searched his utility they allegedly found about 11kg of cocaine hidden inside two small fridges.
The AFP also arrested a man, 33, in Brisbane who had allegedly collected drugs from the Durong property with the Brisbane man, 31, to provide to the courier travelling to Sydney.
A woman, 32, was arrested at her Brisbane home where police seized more than $1 million in cash that police will allege is the proceeds of crime. One of the men arrested in Durong is a dual Spanish-Colombian national, 48, who allegedly flew to Australia and teamed up with a Colombian-born Sydney man, 38, as the chemical specialists responsible for extracting the cocaine from the substance it was hidden in.
The investigation began with a Colombian-born Sydney man, 38, known to law enforcement. This man picked up a dual Spanish-Colombian dual national, 48, from Sydney Airport on 18 May 2022, and their subsequent activities led investigators to suspect they were involved in illegal activity.
These two men travelled to the Gold Coast in late May, meeting with the Gold Coast man who allegedly organised the construction of the facility at Durong.
After AFP officers arrested the Darwin man, 33, outside a gym on Thursday evening, they executed a search warrant at his home and seized thousands of dollars in cash, electronic devices and steroids. They also seized a 7.8-metre boat, suspected to be an instrument of crime.
The AFP is investigating if the vessel was acquired to collect illicit drugs dropped at sea hundreds of kilometres off the Northern Territory coast. A Gold Coast man, 30, was also arrested in Darwin and charged over his alleged involvement in the manufacturing operation.
AFP Assistant Commissioner Eastern Command Kirsty Schofield said the innovative and dogged investigation spanning three states had struck a significant blow to a well-resourced and organised crime syndicate that was targeting and operating in Australia.
"This was a sophisticated, ambitious and ruthless organised crime group that could order the movement of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine with one phone call. It is a great credit to our investigators that they were able to identify a suspicious person arriving into the country, follow the money trail and get one step ahead," Assistant Commissioner Schofield said.
"This investigation has stopped a very large shipment from being passed on to multiple distributors and hitting Australian streets, and prevented millions of dollars from being pumped into the criminal economy.
"Australia's high demand for illicit drugs and the prices Australians are willing to pay only encourage criminal syndicates to target Australia, and ultimately cause significant damage to vulnerable Australians and their families."
Assistant Commissioner Schofield thanked the members of the Queensland Police Service, Northern Territory Police, New South Wales Police Force and the Australian Border Force for their expertise and commitment in supporting the complex investigation.
Investigations are continuing into the exact circumstances of how and when the cocaine was imported into Australia.
CHARGES
Six men, aged 48, 38, 35, 33, 31, and 30 have been charged with conspiracy to manufacture a commercial quantity of controlled drugs, contrary to sections 305.3 and 11.5 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
The Spring Hill man, 33, has been charged with trafficking a commercial quantity of controlled drugs, contrary to section 302.2 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
The western Sydney man, 38, has been charged with supply a large commercial quantity of prohibited drugs namely cocaine under the Drugs Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 (NSW).
The woman, 32, has been charged with knowingly deal with proceeds of crime, the value of the money was $10,000 or more, contrary to section 400.6 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
COURT DETAILS
One man arrested in Queensland, 35, is expected to appear in Southport Magistrates Court today (22 July, 2022).
Two men arrested in Queensland, 33 and 31 are expected to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court today.
Two other men arrested in Queensland, 48 and 38 are expected to appear in Kingaroy Magistrates Court today.
The woman has been bailed to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on (30 September, 2022).
The man arrested north of Newcastle is expected to appear in Raymond Terrace Court today.
The men arrested in Darwin are expected to appear in Darwin Magistrates Court on Monday (25 July, 2022).
