A Blacktown man appeared before Blacktown Local Court yesterday (18 March, 2026) charged with attempting to possess 20kg of pure methamphetamine hidden inside wooden pallets in a shipping container.
An AFP investigation began in September, 2025, after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers intercepted 20kg of pure methamphetamine in a sea-cargo consignment from Malaysia, destined for Greenacre, NSW.
After selecting the consignment for examination, ABF officers x-rayed the container and discovered methamphetamine concealed within 25 packages in nine wooden pallets. The drugs were removed from the pallets and substituted with another material.
The AFP and NSW Police Force undertook a controlled delivery of the consignment to a facility in the Sydney suburb of Fairfield on 16 October, 2025.
Police will allege the man attended the facility, took a photo of the consignment and sent it to a third party, and moved the wooden pallets into a truck.
It will be alleged he later removed the substituted material from the pallets and placed it into garbage bags.
A search warrant was executed in Blacktown and two electronic devices were seized. A subsequent search of the truck led to the recovery of wooden pallets with protruding nails.
The man was charged on 18 March, 2026, with one count of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border-controlled drug, namely methamphetamine, contrary to section 307.5 of the Criminal Code (Cth).
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The man was refused bail and will next appear in the Downing Centre Local Court on 13 May, 2026.
AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Trevor Robinson said the AFP was committed to protecting Australians and working with partners to stop harmful drugs reaching the community.
"The AFP and its partners will chase down every lead and examine all evidence available to ensure alleged criminals do not benefit from their crimes," Det a/Supt Robinson said.
"If sold, this amount of methamphetamine could have equated to 200,000 street level deals, and caused immense harm to users, their loved ones, and the community more broadly.
"We're proud to have stopped drug profits going into the pockets of criminals."
NSW Police Force Detective State Crime Command's Drug and Firearms Squad Commander, Superintendent John Watson, said the joint effort between agencies to tackle this type of crime was inherently important to protect the wider community.
"Drug syndicates are not restricted by borders, so it is vital that we show through these operations that law enforcement is not restricted either," Supt Watson said.
"This arrest shows how effective operational partnerships can be when combating organised drug crime and working to reduce the rampant harm of illicit substances in the community.
"Alleged offenders like this will remain under the focus of both state and federal law enforcement, and I welcome the continued support of our partner agencies to enhance these investigations."
Acting ABF Superintendent Michael Ferguson said criminals continued to test the border with elaborate concealment methods, but they would not outsmart the ABF's intelligence-led targeting and operational capabilities.
"Our officers are committed to staying one step ahead of criminal networks and protecting the community from the serious harm these substances cause," Supt Ferguson said.
