• Australian police seized a record 2.7 tonnes of cocaine from underground bunkers in Sydney.
• The cocaine is valued at approximately A$816 million (US$572 million).
• Two men were arrested and face potential life sentences for drug possession.
• The drug bust is linked to organized crime syndicates with international connections.
• Cocaine-related deaths in Australia surged 28% in 2024, indicating a growing drug crisis.

Australian police have achieved a historic milestone by seizing 2.7 tonnes of cocaine, the largest cocaine bust in the country's history. The drugs were discovered on June 19, concealed in plastic tubs buried in underground bunkers at a property in Londonderry, a suburb on the outskirts of Sydney. The estimated street value of the cocaine is around A$816 million (US$572 million), according to BBC, South China Morning Post, and Channel News Asia.

The operation is part of an ongoing investigation into an organized crime group based in Sydney, which is alleged to have smuggled the cocaine into Australia from a foreign vessel at Midge Point in Queensland. Police discovered the illicit drugs beneath false floors in three shipping containers and arrested two men, aged 21 and 25, who attempted to flee the scene. Both men face serious charges, including possessing a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported drug, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, reports CBS News and Africa News.

Police are also investigating the potential involvement of a "mother vessel," identified as the MV Wealth, which has been detained by authorities in the Solomon Islands. This vessel is suspected of transporting previous cocaine shipments linked to the ongoing drug trafficking operations. Authorities suggest that organized crime groups are becoming increasingly sophisticated, targeting Australia’s extensive coastline for their operations, according to NPR and Channel News Asia.

This bust is particularly significant as it occurs against the backdrop of a troubling rise in cocaine-related deaths in Australia, which surged by 28% in 2024, reaching a record 141 deaths, as noted by the Penington Institute. These statistics highlight the urgent public health concerns posed by illegal drug use in the country, according to South China Morning Post and CBS News.