Three people in two Australian states have been charged by the AFP following a failed 320kg methamphetamine importation from West Africa.
A UK woman is expected to appear before the Downing Centre Local Court today (18 June, 2026) for her alleged role in the failed import. The woman was refused bail by the court last month after being charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border-controlled drug.
An Adelaide-based couple, 30 and 32, were charged in April 2026, over their alleged involvement in the criminal venture.
The AFP launched an investigation in April, 2026, after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers in Sydney's Port Botany detected anomalies in two shipping containers from Ghana.
The consignment, which was purported to be bags of charcoal, was subsequently x-rayed with ABF officers locating a white crystalised substance. Preliminary testing returned a positive result for methamphetamine.
Forensic testing established the consignment contained about 320kg of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $296 million. The drugs were removed and the consignment delivered to a storage facility in Girraween on 20 April, 2026.
It will be alleged the UK national attended the storage facility and supervised a number of men as they unpacked the container. A number of bags were loaded into a vehicle and driven to a house in Blacktown. A short time later, AFP investigators executed a search warrant at a Blacktown home, where the woman was arrested.
Police located 32 bags at the house, which were allegedly those that had previously contained methamphetamine. Electronic devices and a notebook were also seized and will be subject to further forensic examination.
The woman was charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs, contrary to subsection 307.5 of the Criminal Code (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is life imprisonment.
Further inquiries resulted in AFP investigators executing an additional search warrant at a house in Oakden, South Australia, on 30 April, 2026.
A woman, 30, and man, 32, were arrested by AFP investigators for allegedly attempting to rent storage units in Sydney to house the consignment by using false identities. Inquiries into their exact role in this criminal venture are ongoing.
The pair appeared in Adelaide Magistrates Court on 1 May, 2026, each charged with:
- One count of dealing in identification information, namely identification documents, using a carriage service, with the intention that any person would use the identification information to pretend to be, or to pass themselves off as, another person for the purpose of facilitating the commission of an offence, being the possession of a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, contrary to section 372.1A(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth). This offence carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment; and
- One count failing to comply with a 3LA order issued by the Magistrates Court of South Australia, contrary to subsection 3LA(6) of the Crimes Act (Cth). This offence carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment.
The couple were remanded in custody to reappear in Adelaide Magistrates Court on 2 August, 2026.
AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Trevor Robinson said the AFP was continuing to investigate the suppliers and key facilitators of the drug importation.
"This operation highlights the agility of the AFP and our partners to investigate complex matters across jurisdictions and stop organised crime syndicates in their tracks," Det a/Supt Robinson said.
"The seizure of these drugs - with an estimated street value of $296 million - has prevented a potential 3.2 million deals from reaching Australian streets and demonstrates the AFP's ability to operate seamlessly across borders."
ABF Superintendent Jared Leighton said ABF officers remained vigilant in detecting illicit drug importations at the border.
"Criminal syndicates will go to great lengths to disguise illicit drugs, including embedding them in everyday goods like charcoal, but our highly skilled officers are trained to see beyond these attempts," Supt Leighton said.
"Working closely with our law enforcement partners, the ABF will ensure that those involved in trafficking illicit drugs are detected at the border and held accountable."
