Two men charged over alleged attempt to collect seized cocaine in Sydney
Two men have been charged after allegedly trying to collect a cocaine shipment in a Sydney car park, unaware police had already seized the drugs overseas. The case highlights how Australian and Chilean investigators worked together to disrupt an alleged international importation plot.
Chilean investigators reportedly found a network planning to send cocaine to Australia on a commercial flight and alerted the Australian Federal Police. Police replaced the 23kg haul, valued at $17 million, with an inert substance and took it to a Port Botany car park, where the two 33-year-olds were arrested. They were refused bail and are due back in court on 9 December. Searches in Sydney led to seizures of about 5kg of MDMA, $8,000, scales and 10kg of suspected drug-cutting agent; two other people were arrested in Chile.
- Police allege two men tried to collect 23kg of cocaine in Sydney.
- The shipment had been seized in Chile and replaced with an inert substance.
- Searches and arrests extended to Sydney properties and two people in Chile.
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Australia and Chile work together on criminal investigations, including cases involving suspected drug trafficking across borders. Commercial flights can be used to move illegal drugs between countries, while police in each country share information to investigate the people involved.
Port Botany is a major freight hub in Sydney, and Australian authorities investigate suspected drug imports with help from overseas agencies. Cocaine is an illegal drug, and importing it can carry serious criminal penalties; investigators may also look for other drugs, cash and equipment that could be linked to trafficking.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Two men allegedly turn up to collect $17million cocaine haul at Sydney car park – only for it to go horribly wrong as the drugs had already been seized by police”.