Major Cocaine Bust Foils International Drug Cartel Hitting Australian Shores

Three tonnes of cocaine were thwarted from reaching Australian shores in a joint effort between NSW Police and the US Drug Enforcement Agency.

The international drug cartel's well-laid plot to import the high-grade cocaine into Sydney by sea came crashing down in a two-year investigation with a snap of seized drug shipments.

In April this year, the DEA and NSW Police conducted a covert sting creating a replica of the shipments and faking the packages and boxes storing them "in the warehouse where the consignment was to be delivered", a NSW Police officer said.

The covert Strike Force Jillabenan Operation, began early last year when a cashed-up individual blew massive amount of money at Star ­Casino, inciting an investigation which revealed involvement in an international drug operation.

Eight-thirty Thursday morning, Armed Police and Polair arrested three men after the joint sting and subsequent search warrants at homes in Mortdale, Paddington, Regents Park, Rockdale and Sans Souci.

The National Briefing

The men from Mortdale, Rockdale and a Sans Souci property have been dealt a series of charges including attempting to access and conspiracy to supply.

“Police will allege in court that both seizures (off Ecuador and Colombia) formed part of a conspiracy to supply a total of 3000kg of cocaine, including the 1770kg seized, which has a total estimated potential street value of $900 million.”

- Police statement

The men will appear before court on Friday.

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