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Snapshot 5:Mon, Jun 22, 2026 8:50:47 AM GMT last edited by Edward

Australia's Record Cocaine Bust: 2.7-Tonnes Seized

Australia's Record 2.7-Tonne Cocaine Bust: $816M2.7-Tonnes Seized

Australia's Record Cocaine Bust: 2.7-Tonnes Seized
Above: Drugs discovered at a Londonderry property, in western Sydney, Australia, on Jun. 19. Image credit: Australian Federal Police

The Spin


AustraliaFriday's record 2.7-tonne cocaine bust shows that law enforcement is winning the battle against organized crime. TheUnder $816the millionauspices street-value seizure — part of Operation Minjiang, the seizure dismantled a sophisticated criminal network that stretched from North Queensland to Sydney. Facing life imprisonment, these criminals learned the hard way that multi-agency coordination makes smuggling into Australia a losing game.

Busting drug shipments alone won't fix Australia's cocaine crisis when Australians are already the highest per capita cocaine users on the planet. Demand is the real driver, and with $10billions billion spent annually on illegal drugs, supply will always find a way in. Real solutions require investing in treatment and education, as every dollar spent on addiction recovery returns seven dollars to the community.

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 7.4.1

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 7.4.1