Mosaic tiles, crane parts, buses, expensive fabric and 'vegetable spring rolls'. These are just some of the elaborate concealment methods criminals have used to try to smuggle drugs into Australia.
In the 2025 calendar year, Australian Border Force (ABF) intercepted varied air, mail and sea cargo consignments of illicit substances and precursors destined for Australian shores and, with the AFP, seized:
9.2 tonnes of methamphetamine, which had an estimated street value of $5.5 billion;
7.8 tonnes of cocaine, which had an estimated street value of $2.5 billion;
6.3 tonnes of 1,4-butanediol, which had an estimated street value of $18.9 million;
1.3 tonnes of ketamine, which had an estimated street value of $273 million;
260kg of MDMA, which had an estimated street value of $42.6 million; and
220kg of heroin, which had an estimated street value of $110 million.
Through extensive collaboration, intelligence gathering and information sharing, Australian authorities continue to identify sneaky concealment methods criminal syndicates use in an attempt to flood, and cause harm to, the Australian community with illicit drugs.
A recent seizure at Port Botany, New South Wales, in December 2025 saw ABF officers locate 22 individually wrapped plastic blocks containing an estimated total weight of 27kg of cocaine. The estimated value of the cocaine is about $9 million - enough for about 135,000 street-level deals.
This follows on from a seizure in October 2025 when about 145kg of cocaine was located by ABF officers in shipping containers in New South Wales.
AFP Commander Adam Rice said the AFP continued to work collectively with its state, Commonwealth and international law enforcement partners to share intelligence and to disrupt and dismantle organised criminal syndicates threatening Australia.
"The diverse capabilities and skills across the AFP and our law enforcement partners strengthens our collaboration and effectiveness in tackling organised crime groups on and offshore," Commander Rice said.
"Criminals are driven by their own greed and profit. The harm caused by organised crime syndicates' involvement in the Australian illicit drug trade is significant and extends beyond individual users to a myriad of violent and exploitative crimes and harm to the community.
"The threat posed by organised crime groups is not one which can be tackled by one agency or country alone. The AFP's international network and global partnerships are used to great effect to target high harm drug importers and disrupt and deter their efforts to bring harmful substances into our country.
"No matter how creative these criminals attempt to be, our message is clear - we are on to you."
ABF Commander David Coyles said the ABF was committed to protecting the Australian community from persistent threats at the border.
"Over the past year, the ABF has detected a large volume of illicit drugs imported through our air, mail and sea cargo streams, however, we're also increasingly seeing criminal entities using drug mules within the international traveller domain to exploit our border," Commander Coyles said.
"Transnational and serious organised crime groups are working as hard as ever to target the Australian community, using whatever means necessary to grow their profits and gain a greater foothold within this criminal trade.
"However, the ABF continues to pursue this criminal activity, working closely with partner agencies through shared intelligence and cooperation both domestically and internationally, allowing us to prevent illicit imports from reaching our streets.
"As the steward of such a vital national asset, the ABF is unwavering in its commitment to maintain a prosperous and secure border now and into the future."
Every day, on average, 76 people are admitted to Australian hospitals from methamphetamine, cocaine, cannabinoid, GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate), MDMA and hallucinogen use.*
2025 Case studies - Concealment methods
Homewares
In May, three men were charged for allegedly importing 360kg of methamphetamine hidden within mosaic tiles. ABF officers intercepted the importation, which had about 360 boxes of tiles impregnated with methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $333 million.
In July, three NSW men were charged for their alleged role in the importation of 600kg of methamphetamine concealed in rolls of fabric. ABF officers intercepted a sea cargo consignment from Thailand following its arrival into the Port of Brisbane. The illicit drugs - with an estimated street value of $555 million - were concealed in eight wooden crates declared as 'UV protective fabrics'.
Food
In August, ABF officers examined a container that arrived into Port Botany in New South Wales, declared as 'vegetable spring rolls and more', and identified more than 900kg of amphetamine - one of the largest ever seizures in the state.
Clothing
In January, a Portuguese woman was charged for her alleged attempt to import methamphetamine into Australia. ABF officers examined her luggage upon arrival at Melbourne airport and allegedly found vacuum-sealed bags of clothing impregnated with methamphetamine.
In September, a Victorian man was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment, with a non-parole period of seven years, for his role in a failed plot to smuggle about 100kg of methamphetamine hidden inside leather shoes into Australia in 2024.
Machinery
In July, a Sydney man was charged for allegedly travelling to a town in the Gold Coast hinterland to possess 140kg of cocaine hidden inside two marine engines.
In August, an Iranian man was charged over his alleged role in a failed plot to import 390kg of methamphetamine into Australia concealed within crane parts. The methamphetamine had an estimated street value of more than $360 million.
Also in August, two men were charged with allegedly attempting to collect about 45kg of ketamine, which was hidden inside car parts imported from Germany. AFP officers removed the ketamine and undertook a controlled delivery of the car parts. The illicit drugs had an estimated street value of $9.5 million and represented a potential 1.1 million street deals.
Transport
In January, two men were sentenced to a combined six years' imprisonment for their roles in a foiled plot to import 139kg of cocaine into Adelaide hidden inside a shipment of luxury buses.
In March, a Brazilian cruise ship passenger was charged over his alleged attempt to import 10kg of cocaine from Argentina. ABF officers allegedly found 28 individually wrapped packages of cocaine hidden in the ceiling cavity of the man's cabin after the ship docked at Sydney Harbour.
In May, two New South Wales Central Coast men were charged after an investigation into trusted insiders smuggling illicit drugs into Sydney on international commercial flights.
*https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-drugs-hospitalisations: 2023-24 data reported in December 2025 by Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). AIHW data on opioid hospitalisations captures licit and illicit, including heroin and opioids.
AFP assesses 1,4-butanediol use is a significant contributor to reported GHB hospitalisations.
