Ten men have been charged after a Western Australia Joint Organised Crime Task Force (WA JOCTF) investigation into an alleged drug and money laundering network operating across Australia.
The syndicate is alleged to have attempted to traffic methylamphetamine and heroin into WA in vehicles they were driving from interstate and transferred the alleged cash from drug sales into cryptocurrency in a bid to avoid police detection.
Police seized about 114kg of methamphetamine, 6.3kg of heroin, 4kg of ketamine and $1,132,000 of suspected proceeds of crime during the three-month investigation.
The WA JOCTF - comprised of the AFP, Western Australia Police Force (WAPF), Australian Border Force (ABF), Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) and AUSTRAC - was supported by federal and state law enforcement partners in multiple states and overseas through the AFP's global network.
The South Australia JOCTF and AFP's Taskforce Avarus in NSW, along with law enforcement in Vietnam, through the AFP's International Network, assisted in dismantling this alleged criminal syndicate.
Police arrested five men, including the alleged syndicate leader - a 28-year-old man from Eglington - on 28 April, 2026, after executing search warrants in the Perth suburbs of Eglington, Secret Harbour, Coodanup, High Wycombe, Queens Park and Dudley Park.
Various items were seized during those search warrants, including jewellery suspected as being the proceeds of crime, about $390,000 cash, 33kg of methylamphetamine and 1.4kg of heroin.
The 28-year-old man from Eglington was charged with:
• Nine counts of received, possessed, concealed, disposed of or dealt with any money or other property that is the proceeds of an offence;
• One count of supplied a prohibited drug (Heroin); and
• One count of conspired, incited, accessory after fact or attempted to possess a trafficable quantity of methylamphetamine with intent to sell or supply.
He is next scheduled to appear before Perth Magistrates Court on 20 May, 2026.
A Secret Harbour man, 22, was charged with:
• Six counts of received, possessed, concealed, disposed of or dealt with any money or other property that is the proceeds of an offence;
• One count of supplied a prohibited drug (Heroin);
• One count of conspired, incited, accessory after fact or attempted to possess a trafficable quantity of methylamphetamine with intent to sell or supply;
• One count of possessed a trafficable quantity of methylamphetamine with intent to sell or supply it to another; and
• One count of possession of stolen or unlawfully obtained property.
He is next scheduled to appear before Perth Magistrates Court on 24 June, 2026.
A Coodanup man, 23, was charged with:
• One count of supplied a prohibited drug (Heroin);
• One count of conspired, incited, accessory after fact or attempted to possess a trafficable quantity of methylamphetamine with intent to sell or supply;
• One count of possession of prohibited drugs with intent to sell or supply (Heroin);
• One count of possessed a trafficable quantity of methylamphetamine with intent to sell or supply it to another; and
• One count of possession of prohibited drugs with intent to sell or supply.
He is next scheduled to appear before Rockingham Magistrates Court on 20 May, 2026.
A Queens Park man, 26, was charged with one count of conspired, incited, accessory after fact or attempted to possess a trafficable quantity of methylamphetamine with intent to sell or supply.
He is next scheduled to appear before Rockingham Magistrates Court on 20 May, 2026.
A Dudley Park man, 21, was charged with one count of received, possessed, concealed, disposed of or dealt with any money or other property that is the proceeds of an offence.
He is scheduled to appear before the Fremantle Magistrates Court on 26 May, 2026.
As a result of ongoing inquiries, a South Australian man, 23, was arrested on Friday (1 May, 2026) for his alleged role in the criminal activities. He was charged with one count of money laundering, contrary to section 138(2) of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935 (SA). The maximum penalty for this offence is four years' imprisonment.
The man, from Mawson Lakes, was bailed to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on 24 June, 2026.
The first arrest in this investigation occurred on 26 February, 2026, after WA JOCTF investigators witnessed an alleged member of the criminal network visit a storage unit in Scarborough.
Police executed a search warrant at the storage unit, where they allegedly located 20kg of methamphetamine, 3kg of ketamine, a Glock semi-automatic pistol and ammunition.
A man, 34, from Scarborough, was charged with:
• One count of possessed a trafficable quantity of methylamphetamine with intent to sell or supply it to another;
• One count of unlawfully possessed a handgun, prohibited firearm, or major part of a handgun or prohibited firearm;
• One count of possession of prohibited drugs with intent to sell or supply;
• One count of possession of prohibited drugs with intent to sell or supply (Cocaine); and
• One count of possessed or acquired ammunition while not being authorised by a licence or permit.
He was remanded in custody and is next due to appear before the Perth Magistrates Court on 21 May, 2026.
In March, intelligence received from SA JOCTF investigators led WA JOCTF officers to stop and search a four-wheel drive in Mundaring, WA. They allegedly located 24kg of methamphetamine and 3.5kg of heroin, and a small amount of cash in the vehicle.
Two men - a 22-year-old from WA and a 32-year-old from SA - were both charged and remain before the courts.
Police will allege the WA man had flown from Perth to Adelaide and on the same day began travelling back to WA in the four-wheel drive.
On 20 April, 2026, WA Police acted on similar intelligence from the SA JOCTF and stopped a vehicle in Norseman, WA, where they allegedly located about 34 kilograms of methylamphetamine.
A man, 31, was charged and is next due to appear before the Kalgoorlie Magistrates Court on 11 June, 2026.
Investigations are ongoing and further arrests have not been ruled out.
Combined, the illicit drugs seized during the investigation prevented more than $57 million reaching the pockets of criminals.
Collectively, the methylamphetamine and heroin could have been sold as 1.1 million individual street deals.
AFP Detective Acting Inspector Dave Blockley said the WA JOCTF remained committed to disrupting the supply of illicit drugs and confiscating the associated profits from criminal networks.
"Police will allege this syndicate had connections across the country and overseas, and the AFP engaged its network across Australia and internationally, with partner agencies assisting to identify and disrupt the alleged drug supply and associated money laundering," Det a/Insp Blockley said.
"Illicit drugs harm our communities the profits derived from the sale of these substances can be used to fund further criminal activities.
"The WA JOCTF's combination of capability, resources and partnerships is a strong warning to criminals that we are unwavering in our determination to stop them exploiting our communities."
Western Australia Police Force Detective Acting Inspector Craig Mellors, Serious and Organised Crime Division, said organised crime groups seeking to profit in WA would be met with decisive and uncompromising enforcement.
"Western Australia is not an open market for organised crime, and this investigation shows exactly what will happen to those who test that," Det a/Insp Mellors said.
"This investigation demonstrates how WA Police confront organised crime. We identify the network, dismantle its operations, seize its profits and leave those responsible facing the full force of the law.
"WA Police relentlessly pursue organised crime at every level. We intercept the drugs, follow the money, seize assets and put offenders before the courts. Anyone seeking to profit from addiction, violence or community harm in this state should expect no mercy or safe haven."
Joint Organised Crime Taskforces in Australia bring together federal and state agencies working across borders to target serious and organised criminal networks causing the most harm to the Australian community. This collaboration demonstrates the strength and commitment of the JOCTF network across Australia.
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