Seven men charged after cops bust alleged plot to bring in more than 300kg of drugs from overseas - and the shocking discovery in a shipment from Canada
Seven men have been charged after allegedly plotting to bring more than 300kg of illicit drugs into Australia.
Since September 2023, detectives were investigating a 42-year-old man and his associates for allegedly importing and supplying large amounts of prohibited drugs and illicit tobacco.
The men were allegedly claiming to have the ability to circumvent border controls with shipments coming in from Canada, the United Arab Emirates and Panama.
Police allege the 42-year-old man was using a freight forwarding company in Punchbowl, south west of Sydney, to import the drugs.
More than 280kg of liquid methamphetamine was located in an industrial cooler imported from Vancouver, Canada, in July 2024, allegedly organised by the man.
Police continued their investigation into the man who allegedly continued to use the freight forwarding company.
Over three separate consignments, the man allegedly imported more than 20 million cigarettes from the United Arab Emirates.
In May, investigators established the man was planning to import 50kg of cocaine concealed in cement bags loaded in a shopping container from Panama.
Police allege the man asked two other men - who flew to Australia from Canada - to help retrieve the cocaine from the cement bags and to help supply it to organised crime groups in NSW.
Investigators arrested four men at about 2pm on Friday after executing six search warrants in Moorebank, Punchbowl, Smithfield, Doonside and Mt Annan.
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