CANBERRA, ACT, June 18 -- Australian Federal Police issued the following media release:
Editor's note:Arrest vision and images available via Hightail
Three people in two Australian states have been charged by the AFP following a failed 320kg methamphetamine importation from West Africa.
A UK woman is expected to appear before the Downing Centre Local Court today (18June,2026) for her alleged role in thefailedimport. The woman was refused bail by thecourt last month after being charged with attempting topossessa commercial quantity of border-controlled drug.
An Adelaide-based couple, 30 and 32, were charged in April 2026,overtheir alleged involvement in the criminal venture.
The AFP launched an investigation inApril,2026, after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers in Sydney's Port Botany detected anomalies in two shipping containers from Ghana.
The consignment, which was purported to be bags of charcoal,wassubsequentlyx-rayed with ABF officerslocatinga white crystalised substance. Preliminary testing returned a positive result for methamphetamine.
Forensic testingestablishedthe consignment contained about 320kg of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $296 million. The drugs were removed and the consignment delivered to a storage facility in Girraween on 20April,2026.
It will be alleged the UK national attended the storage facility and superviseda number ofmen as they unpacked the container.A number of bags were loaded into a vehicle and driven to a house in Blacktown.A short timelater, AFPinvestigatorsexecuted a search warrant at aBlacktownhome,where the woman was arrested.
Policelocated32 bags at the house, which were allegedly those that hadpreviouslycontainedmethamphetamine. Electronic devices and a notebook were also seized and will be subject to further forensic examination.
The woman was charged with attempting topossessa commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs, contrary to subsection 307.5 of theCriminal Code(Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is life imprisonment.
Furtherinquiries resulted in AFP investigators executinganadditionalsearch warrant at a house in Oakden, South Australia, on 30April,2026.
A woman, 30, and man, 32, were arrested by AFP investigators for allegedlyattemptingto rent storage units in Sydney to house the consignment by using false identities.Inquiries into their exact role in this criminal venture are ongoing.
The pair appeared in Adelaide Magistrates Court on 1May,2026, each charged with:
* One count of dealing in identification information, namely identification documents, using a carriage service, with the intention that any person would use the identification information to pretend to be, or to pass themselves off as, another person for the purpose of facilitating the commission of an offence, being the possession of a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, contrary to section 372.1A(1) of theCriminal Code(Cth). This offence carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment; and* One countfailing to complywith a 3LA order issued by the Magistrates Court of South Australia, contrary to subsection 3LA(6) of theCrimes Act(Cth). This offence carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment.
The couple were remanded in custody to reappear in Adelaide Magistrates Court on2September,2026.
AFP DetectiveActing Superintendent Trevor Robinson said the AFP was continuingto investigatethe suppliers and key facilitators of the drug importation.
"This operation highlights the agility of the AFP and our partners to investigate complex matters across jurisdictions and stop organised crime syndicates in their tracks," Det a/Supt Robinson said.
"The seizure of these drugs - with an estimated street value of $296 million - has prevented a potential 3.2 million deals from reaching Australian streets and demonstrates the AFP's ability to operate seamlessly across borders."
ABF Superintendent Jared Leighton said ABF officers remainedvigilant in detecting illicit drug importations at the border.
"Criminal syndicates will go to great lengths to disguise illicit drugs, including embedding them in everyday goods like charcoal, but our highly skilled officers are trained to see beyond these attempts," Supt Leighton said.
"Working closely with our law enforcement partners, the ABF will ensure that those involved in trafficking illicit drugs are detected at the border and held accountable."
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
