CANBERRA, ACT, Oct. 30 -- Australian Federal Police issued the following media release:
This is a joint media release between the Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force
Editor's note: images available via Hightail
A western Sydney man, 24, is expected to face court today charged with drug possession and supply offences, following AFP search warrants as part of an ongoing investigation into more than 700kg of methamphetamine hidden inside a shipping container of dates.
AFP investigators executed three search warrants on properties linked to the man in the western Sydney suburbs of Birrong, Smithfield and Cabramatta yesterday after he was identified as a possible recipient of the shipping container.
The man was located at a house in Birrong, where police found approximately 28 grams of a substance suspected to be cocaine, nine pills believed to contain MDMA and what will be alleged is assorted drug paraphernalia. It will be alleged the items were found in his bedroom.
He is expected to appear in Bankstown Local Court today charged with the following offences:
* Three counts of possess a prohibited drug contrary to section 10(1) of the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985; and
* One count of supply a prohibited drug contrary to section 25(1) of the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985.
The AFP investigation into this matter began in December 2024, when a container was selected for examination by Australian Border Force and found to contain 701kg of methamphetamine and 21kg of heroin concealed in boxes of dates. The container had been loaded onto the ship in the United Arab Emirates, but was believed to have originated elsewhere in the Middle East.
Investigators removed the drugs from the consignment, but further enquiries in January 2025 could not identify the intended recipients. The container remained uncollected, before being returned to the Middle East.
On Sunday, 28 September 2025, another container - with what is believed to be the same consignment of dates - arrived back into Port Botany. An ABF search of the container did not find any illegal drugs or items. On 21 October, 2025, the consignment of dates was delivered to a premises in Smithfield.
AFP Detective Acting Sergeant Brendan Hayler said enquiries are continuing into the initial shipment of drugs, and the return of the same consignment last month, to identify the criminal syndicate responsible for it.
"It is very unusual to get the same consignment, which previously had illicit drugs in it, to arrive back in Sydney nine months later," Det. a/Sgt Hayler said.
"We are seeking information from anyone who may have information in relation to the consignment. We are also interested in talking to anyone who may have been offered bulk amounts of dates for sale recently, or asked to store or dispose of them."
ABF Superintendent Jared Leighton said this seizure demonstrated first-hand the effectiveness of our intelligence-led methodology to target containers at our border.
"Criminals often attempt to conceal illicit drugs amongst legitimate goods, but our profiling and intelligence holdings means we will always be one step ahead and will continue to prevent dangerous drugs from reaching our community," Superintendent O'Connor said.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
