Australian Federal Police and Border Force foil major international drug trafficking attempt involving mechanical equipment shipment

Adelaide, July 10, 2025 — A 29-year-old South Australian man has been charged in connection with an alleged attempt to import 62 kilograms of cocaine into Australia, concealed inside mechanical equipment shipped from overseas. The seizure has an estimated street value of over $20 million.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested the man on Monday, July 7, following a months-long joint investigation with the Australian Border Force (ABF). He is due to appear in Adelaide Magistrates Court on October 1, 2025, facing two serious drug importation charges.

Drugs Hidden in Industrial Machine

The case unfolded in February 2025, when ABF officers flagged a suspicious consignment at the Sydney Container Examination Facility. The shipment was addressed to a business located in Adelaide.

Upon inspection, officers allegedly discovered 62 individually wrapped packages hidden within the cavity of a mechanical wheel-balancing machine. Preliminary testing suggested the packages contained cocaine, prompting ABF to notify the AFP.

The packages were immediately seized, triggering a full-scale criminal investigation.

Search Leads to Arrest in Magill

Later that month, on February 24, AFP officers executed a search warrant at a business address in Magill, a suburb of Adelaide. Investigators reportedly uncovered further evidence linked to the suspected importation scheme, which ultimately led to the suspect’s arrest this week.

The man now faces the following charges under the Criminal Code (Cth):

• Importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug (Section 307.1), and

• Attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug (Section 307.5).

Each offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

AFP: Lives and Livelihoods Protected

AFP Detective Superintendent Melinda Adam emphasized the importance of cross-agency and international collaboration in disrupting serious transnational crime.

“The AFP is steadfast in protecting Australian lives and livelihoods. Drug crime destroys communities, families, and the economy,” she said.

“This seizure alone potentially prevented 310,000 individual street-level cocaine deals from flooding our streets.”

ABF: No Clever Way to Smuggle Drugs

ABF Acting Superintendent Reilly Farrell reinforced the message that criminal smuggling methods, no matter how sophisticated, cannot outmatch Australia’s border enforcement efforts.

“Our officers’ expertise and vigilance continue to foil complex drug trafficking attempts. There is no ‘clever’ way to beat the system,” he said.

Cocaine Harms on the Rise

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, there were over 1,300 hospitalisations linked to cocaine use across the country in 2021–22—an average of more than three per day. This highlights the ongoing public health impact of illicit drug trafficking.

Source :Source: ACIC Illicit Drug Calculator

**Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report