Port Insiders Arrested After Failed Cocaine Smuggling Operation in Sydney

Three Sydney men, including port workers with insider access, have been arrested following the seizure of 506kg of cocaine hidden in a shipping container at a Sydney sea freight facility. The Multi Agency Strike Team (MAST) operation uncovered the sophisticated smuggling attempt that used a false wall within a shipping container that had entered Australia with legitimate cargo.

Authorities seized the cocaine, valued at approximately AUD $164 million, along with AUD $330,000 in cash during the operation that culminated in arrests on August 31.

The investigation began in April 2025 when Strike Force Paiporta was established to target a criminal syndicate with members working inside Sydney ports. Intelligence indicated the group was planning to remove drugs from an imported container while it was in storage.

AFP Detective Superintendent Peter Fogarty highlighted the significance of the operation: “Transnational serious organised crime groups routinely seek to exploit vulnerabilities at Australia’s gateways to the world, and the AFP, alongside our partners, are committed to exposing these syndicates and bringing them before the courts.”

A 38-year-old forklift driver from Hillsdale was observed moving shipping containers to access one specific container around 12:30am on Sunday. Shortly after, a 25-year-old Oyster Bay man was arrested as he exited the container with tools including a crowbar and angle grinder that investigators believe were used to cut into the container’s false wall.

Both men face charges of importing and attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, offenses that carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. A third man, a 42-year-old from Caringbah who also worked as a forklift driver, was intercepted leaving the Hillsdale man’s home and found with AUD$200,000 in cash. He faces charges related to dealing with the proceeds of crime.

The MAST, which consists of 41 full-time investigators and analysts from both Commonwealth and NSW law enforcement agencies, specifically targets “trusted insiders” – individuals who use their legitimate employment positions to facilitate criminal activities.

While investigators confirmed the shipping container originated in Europe, inquiries into the source of the drugs and other participants in the importation plot are ongoing.

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