Australian authorities seize record amount of cocaine in Sydney property search
Police have seized approximately three tonnes of cocaine from a property on the outskirts of Sydney. The haul is reported as the largest quantity of the drug ever confiscated in Australia.
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Australian police have seized approximately three tonnes of cocaine from a property located on the outskirts of Sydney. Reports from multiple news outlets indicate that the discovery, made on June 19, represents the largest seizure of the substance in Australian history.
The drugs were found stored in plastic tubs within underground bunkers. According to reports from CBS News and The Independent, these structures were concealed beneath three shipping containers using false floors.
The Indian Express reported that the haul has an estimated street value of 816 million Australian dollars, which is approximately $572 million USD. While some reports cite the weight as three tonnes, other reporting from the Indian Express specifies a total of 2.7 tonnes.
Two residents of Sydney were arrested in connection with the discovery. NPR News reports that these individuals face potential sentences of life in prison. The scale of the seizure is noted by several outlets as a significant operation for Australian law enforcement.