Cocaine Bust in Australia 2026
Australia’s law enforcement agencies are recording some of the most significant cocaine bust outcomes in the nation’s history, and 2026 has already delivered a landmark seizure that has reset the record books entirely. On 19 June 2026, Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Queensland Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (QJOCTF) uncovered 2.7 tonnes of cocaine buried in underground bunkers beneath shipping containers at a semi-rural property in Londonderry, western Sydney — Australia’s largest single cocaine bust ever recorded. With an estimated street value of approximately $816 million, the haul equates to roughly three million street-level deals and underlines the extraordinary scale at which organised crime syndicates are now targeting Australian shores.
The surge in cocaine busts in Australia 2026 does not exist in isolation. It reflects a persistent, decade-long escalation that has seen seizure volumes, domestic consumption, and border detection numbers climb simultaneously. In the 2025 calendar year alone, the AFP and Australian Border Force (ABF) jointly seized 7.8 tonnes of cocaine with a combined estimated street value of $2.5 billion — more than any prior full-year figure on record. Wastewater analysis from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) confirms that cocaine consumption rose by 69% between 2022–23 and 2023–24, reaching its highest annual level since national monitoring began. These figures, drawn from Australia’s foremost law enforcement and intelligence bodies, paint a clear picture: Australia’s cocaine market is growing faster than authorities have ever seen, and interdiction efforts, while increasingly successful, face an unprecedented challenge.
Interesting Facts: Cocaine Bust in Australia 2026
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Australia’s largest ever cocaine bust | 2.7 tonnes seized at Londonderry, NSW on 19 June 2026 under Operation Minjiang |
| Street value of the 2.7-tonne seizure | Approximately $816 million AUD |
| Equivalent street-level deals | Approximately 3 million deals from that single haul |
| Total Operation Minjiang yield (2026) | More than 3 tonnes of border-controlled drugs (cocaine + methamphetamine combined) |
| Total cocaine seized in 2025 (full calendar year) | 7.8 tonnes, valued at approximately $2.5 billion AUD |
| Cocaine seizures in 2023–24 | 5.6 tonnes as part of a total 33.7 tonnes of illicit drugs seized nationally |
| Previous single-seizure record (Nov 2024) | 2 tonnes seized under Operation Tyrrendor — surpassed in June 2026 |
| Cocaine consumption increase (2022–23 to 2023–24) | Up 69%, from 4,037 kg to 6,835 kg per year (wastewater data) |
| Cocaine retail price in Australia | Approximately $300–$400 per gram — among the highest in the world |
| Past-year cocaine use rate | 4.5% of Australians aged 14+ reported use in 2022–23, highest in two decades |
| Cocaine arrests nationally (2020–21) | 5,958 arrests — a 499% increase over the decade from 2011–12 |
| Cocaine border detections (2020–21) | 2,169 detections, the highest on record at the time, weighing 2,576 kg |
| Cocaine purity (ACT and Victoria, 2025) | 70–86% of samples contained cocaine only — high market-level purity |
| Penalty for commercial cocaine importation | Maximum life imprisonment under section 307.5 of the Criminal Code (Cth) |
Sources: Australian Federal Police (AFP) Media Releases, June 2026; AFP/ABF Joint Media Release, January 2026; Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program Report 24; ACIC Illicit Drug Data Report 2020–21; NDARC Trends in Drug Markets, Use and Health Impacts in Australia: Cocaine, 2026
The figures above represent a drug enforcement environment that is being tested at a scale nobody anticipated even five years ago. The June 2026 cocaine bust — Australia’s largest ever — was the culmination of Operation Minjiang, a multi-agency investigation that began in May 2026 when 40 kg of cocaine was found floating near a boat ramp at Midge Point in North Queensland after locals reported a burnt-out flatbed truck nearby. From that initial find, investigators followed the trail through cascading search warrants across two states before uncovering the main cache in western Sydney. That a $816 million cocaine shipment was being stored in plastic tubs inside underground bunkers with false container floors reveals just how sophisticated these criminal networks have become — and just how profitable the Australian cocaine market is for those willing to take the risk.
What makes these facts even more striking is the trajectory behind them. Just a few years ago, 4,421 kg seized nationally in 2020–21 was considered a record high, representing a 181% jump from the year prior. By 2023–24, that figure had grown to 5,600 kg, and the 2025 calendar year produced 7,800 kg in seized cocaine alone. With the 2.7-tonne Londonderry bust occurring as recently as 19 June 2026, this year is already making a powerful statement. The ACIC has noted publicly that cocaine trafficking groups are collectively attempting to supply as much cocaine to Australia as has ever been the case — and the interception data increasingly validates that assessment.
Annual Cocaine Seizures in Australia 2026: Weight and Street Value Trends
COCAINE SEIZED IN AUSTRALIA | ANNUAL WEIGHT (KG) — AFP/ABF DATA
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
2019-20 │ ████ 1,571 kg
2020-21 │ ███████████ 4,421 kg
2021-22 │ ████████ ~3,200 kg (est. within 23.1t total)
2022-23 │ ████████████████ ~6,000+ kg (cocaine at unprecedented levels)
2023-24 │ █████████████████████ 5,600 kg
2025 │ █████████████████████████████ 7,800 kg
(Calendar year / AFP-ABF combined border and national seizures)
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Scale: Each █ ≈ approx. 270 kg
| Year / Period | Cocaine Seized (kg) | Estimated Street Value | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | 1,571 kg | ~$550 million | Pre-record baseline |
| 2020–21 | 4,421 kg | ~$1.5 billion | 181% increase on prior year; national record at the time |
| 2021–22 | Part of 23.1 tonnes total illicit drugs | — | Significant scale-up nationally |
| 2022–23 | Described as unprecedented levels for cocaine | Part of $10.7 billion harm prevented | More than double the previous year |
| 2023–24 | 5,600 kg | Included in $11.5 billion total market value | Part of 33.7 tonnes total seized nationally |
| 2025 (calendar) | 7,800 kg | ~$2.5 billion AUD | Highest full-year cocaine seizure total ever recorded |
| 2026 (June alone) | 2,700 kg (single bust) | ~$816 million AUD | Australia’s largest ever single cocaine seizure |
Sources: Australian Federal Police Annual Reports and Media Releases; AFP/ABF Joint Media Releases 2022–23, 2023–24, 2025, 2026; Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission Illicit Drug Data Report 2020–21
The escalation in annual cocaine seizures in Australia is one of the most dramatic stories in the country’s law enforcement history. Going from 1,571 kg in 2019–20 to 7,800 kg in the 2025 calendar year represents a near fivefold increase within half a decade, with the AFP and ABF reporting double-digit percentage growth in cocaine interceptions across virtually every reporting period during that time. The 2020–21 figure of 4,421 kg was considered extraordinary at the time — representing a 181% spike from the previous year — yet within four years it had already been eclipsed by a comfortable margin. These are not incremental changes; they reflect a fundamental shift in the volume and ambition of transnational criminal networks targeting Australia’s shores.
What the numbers in this table ultimately tell us is that Australia’s cocaine interdiction effort has scaled up dramatically, yet the domestic market continues to expand in parallel. Wastewater analysis from the ACIC confirms that even as record quantities are being seized, consumption volumes are also rising — suggesting that the total supply pipeline is larger than at any previous point. The $2.5 billion street value of cocaine seized in 2025 alone puts into stark relief the commercial incentive driving these importations. At retail prices of $300–$400 per gram, a single tonne of cocaine represents well over $300 million in illicit profit, making Australia one of the most lucrative cocaine destinations anywhere in the world.
Major Cocaine Bust Operations in Australia 2026: Key Cases
NOTABLE COCAINE BUSTS — AUSTRALIA | BY WEIGHT (KG)
────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Operation Minjiang (June 2026) │ ███████████████████████████ 2,700 kg
Operation Tyrrendor (Nov 2024) │ ████████████████████ 2,000 kg
Brisbane container (May 2025) │ ██ 253 kg
NSW coastal vessel (May 2025) │ ████████ 1,000+ kg
Port Botany (Dec 2025) │ 27 kg
Refrigerated containers (Jan 25)│ 41 kg
────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Scale: Each █ ≈ approx. 100 kg
| Operation / Seizure | Date | Weight | Estimated Street Value | Method of Concealment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operation Minjiang — Londonderry, NSW | June 2026 | 2,700 kg | ~$816 million | Plastic tubs in underground bunkers beneath false shipping container floors |
| Operation Tyrrendor | November 2024 | 2,000 kg | — | Maritime importation |
| NSW Coastal Vessel Interception | May 2025 | 1,000+ kg | — | Vessel off Nambucca Heads, NSW coast |
| Brisbane Shipping Container | May 2025 | 253 kg | ~$82 million | Five carry bags in black plastic on pallets |
| Gold Coast — marine engines | July 2025 | 140 kg | — | Hidden inside two marine engines |
| Port Botany (NSW) seizure | December 2025 | 27 kg | ~$9 million | 22 individually wrapped plastic blocks |
| Refrigerated containers — Sydney | January 2025 | 41 kg | — | Concealed in wall panels of two refrigerated containers |
| Sydney man charged — 525 kg plot | December 2025 | 525 kg (alleged) | ~$180 million+ | International importation plot |
Sources: Australian Federal Police Media Releases, May–June 2026; AFP/ABF Joint Media Release January 2026; AFP Media Release May, July, December 2025; Australian Border Force Newsroom 2025–2026
Looking across the individual cocaine bust operations in Australia from 2024 through to mid-2026, a pattern emerges that tells investigators as much about criminal methodology as it does about volumes. The Operation Minjiang seizure is the stand-out by a wide margin — 2,700 kg buried in underground bunkers with false container floors represents a level of infrastructure investment that goes far beyond improvised concealment. The 2,000 kg Operation Tyrrendor seizure in November 2024, which held the record for Australia’s largest single cocaine bust until just last week, demonstrates that seizures of this magnitude are no longer aberrations but are instead the direction of travel. The 1,000+ kg vessel interception off Nambucca Heads in May 2025 confirms that bulk maritime shipments are the preferred delivery mechanism for high-volume cocaine trafficking networks.
Smaller seizures — the 27 kg Port Botany bust, the 41 kg from refrigerated containers in Sydney, the 253 kg Brisbane container — are significant not just for their own numbers but for what they reveal about the breadth and variety of methods being used. The AFP has documented a clear trend of cocaine being hidden in refrigerated shipping containers since at least April 2023, with criminal syndicates targeting trusted insiders to access dock facilities and retrieve drugs post-import. The diversity of concealment methods, combined with the consistent frequency of detections across air, sea, and land routes, reflects the adaptive capacity of criminal networks — and the sustained pressure being applied by Australian authorities across every entry point.
Cocaine Bust Statistics in Australia 2026: Consumption vs. Seizure Data
COCAINE CONSUMED VS SEIZED IN AUSTRALIA | KG PER ANNUM (NATIONAL ESTIMATES)
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Consumed (wastewater est.) Seized
2022-23 │ ████████████ 4,037 kg │ ████████████████ ~6,000+ kg
2023-24 │ ████████████████████ 6,835 │ █████████████████ 5,600 kg
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Note: Wastewater-based consumption is a national population-level estimate.
Scale: Each █ ≈ approx. 350 kg
| Period | Estimated Cocaine Consumed (kg/yr) | Cocaine Seized (kg) | Year-on-Year Change in Consumption |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | 4,037 kg | ~6,000+ kg (unprecedented) | Baseline for this comparison |
| 2023–24 | 6,835 kg | 5,600 kg | +69% increase in consumption |
| 2024–25 | Record highs continuing (wastewater data) | 7,800 kg (2025 calendar year) | Continued upward trajectory |
Sources: ACIC National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program Report 24 (August 2025); AIHW Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs in Australia — Illicit Drug Markets and Wastewater Drug Monitoring (April 2026); AFP/ABF Media Release January 2026
The comparison between cocaine consumption and seizures in Australia is one of the most revealing datasets available to law enforcement planners and public health authorities alike. Between 2022–23 and 2023–24, estimated national cocaine consumption jumped by 69% — from 4,037 kg to 6,835 kg annually according to the ACIC’s National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program. This was the highest annual cocaine consumption level ever recorded by the program, and it occurred simultaneously with a record level of seizures. The fact that consumption rose even as seizures hit new peaks suggests the total supply pipeline is large enough to sustain both growing domestic use and significant law enforcement interceptions without causing meaningful market disruption.
The ACIC’s data modelling published in 2025 projects that increases in cocaine consumption are likely to continue through to 2027, though the rate of increase may slow from the exceptional figures seen in 2023–24. For law enforcement, this creates a compounding challenge: each year of rising consumption normalises the drug further into Australian social environments, which in turn sustains and deepens the demand that makes Australia such an attractive market for transnational cocaine trafficking groups. At $300–$400 per gram, the retail price of cocaine in Australia sits far above what the same drug costs in source countries like Colombia — where prices can fall as low as the equivalent of AUD $10–$15 per gram — generating profit margins that criminal networks will continue to chase regardless of the interdiction risks.
Cocaine Bust in Australia 2026: Pricing, Purity and Market Value
COCAINE RETAIL PRICE (AUD/GRAM) — AUSTRALIA vs. INTERNATIONAL
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Australia │ ████████████████████████████████████ $300–$400
USA/Europe │ █████████████ $70–$200
Colombia (src) │ ▌ ~$10–$15
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Source: NDARC 2026; UNODC World Drug Report 2025; ACIC IDRS/EDRS data
| Indicator | Statistic | Source / Year |
|---|---|---|
| Median retail price (Australia) | $300–$350 per gram | ACIC IDRS/EDRS interview data, 2025 |
| High-end retail price (Australia) | Up to $400 per gram | UNODC / ACIC data |
| Comparable price — North America/Europe | US$50–$150 per gram | UNODC World Drug Report 2025 |
| Source country price (Colombia) | As low as AUD ~$10–$15 per gram | UNODC World Drug Report 2025 |
| Purity — cocaine samples (ACT, Victoria 2025) | 70–86% of samples contained cocaine only | NDARC Trends in Drug Markets 2026 |
| Market share — global cryptomarkets targeting Australia | 46–63% of listings advertised for Australian delivery (2024–25) | NDARC Trends in Drug Markets 2026 |
| Total estimated illicit drug market value (2023–24) | $11.5 billion (meth, cocaine, MDMA, heroin combined) | ACIC Wastewater Report 24, 2025 |
Sources: NDARC Trends in Drug Markets, Use and Health Impacts in Australia: Cocaine, 2026; ACIC National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program Report 24; UNODC World Drug Report 2025; AFP/ABF Annual Reporting
Australia’s position as one of the world’s highest-priced cocaine retail markets is a core driver of everything reflected in the seizure data. At $300–$400 per gram, local cocaine prices sit dramatically above typical North American and European retail rates of US$50–$150 per gram, and are separated from source-country Colombian prices by a factor of 30 to 40 times. This pricing gap is not incidental — it represents the premium that transnational criminal networks extract for their capacity to deliver large volumes across the Pacific and through Australia’s border controls, and it is precisely this premium that makes every unsuccessful shipment worth the risk of a follow-up attempt. The 46–63% of global dark-web cocaine listings advertising delivery to Australia, recorded in 2024–25 by NDARC, is a direct reflection of how aggressively suppliers are pursuing this market.
The purity data adds another dimension to the picture. The fact that 70–86% of samples tested in the ACT and Victoria contained cocaine only — with minimal adulterants — indicates a mature, well-supplied market where product quality has become a competitive concern for suppliers. This is markedly different from drug markets characterised by scarcity, where heavy adulteration is common. High purity sustains demand and expands the user base, and when combined with the price premiums on offer, it creates a self-reinforcing cycle that makes Australia’s cocaine bust statistics as much a reflection of market economics as they are of criminal ambition. The $11.5 billion combined street value of major illicit drugs consumed in Australia in 2023–24 — with cocaine accounting for a significant share — underscores just how enormous the financial incentive remains for the criminal networks law enforcement is working to dismantle.
Cocaine Use and Arrests in Australia 2026: Population and Law Enforcement Data
COCAINE USE RATE IN AUSTRALIA — % OF POPULATION AGED 14+ (PAST-YEAR USE)
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
2004 │ █ 1.0%
2010 │ ██ 2.1%
2016 │ ███ 2.5%
2019 │ ████ 4.2%
2022-23 │ █████ 4.5%
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Source: NDARC 2026; AIHW; National Drug Strategy Household Survey
Scale: Each █ ≈ approx. 0.9 percentage points
| Indicator | Statistic | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Past-year cocaine use rate (Australians aged 14+) | 4.5% — highest in two decades | 2022–23 |
| Past-year cocaine use rate (2004 baseline) | 1.0% | 2004 |
| National cocaine arrests | 5,958 arrests — highest ever recorded | 2020–21 |
| Increase in cocaine arrests over the decade | 499% increase (from 995 arrests in 2011–12) | 2011–12 to 2020–21 |
| Cocaine as share of drug treatment episodes | 1.2% of closed episodes — up from 0.3% in 2014–15 | 2023–24 |
| Treatment episodes rate | 11.6 per 100,000 people — up from 2.8 per 100,000 in 2013–14 | 2023–24 |
| Cocaine-related overdose deaths | 0.38 deaths per 100,000 people | 2023 |
| Cocaine-related ambulance attendances | Majority aged 15–34 years; highest rate among 15–24 age group | 2021–2024 data |
| Perceived availability | Over 40% of regular stimulant users rated cocaine as “very easy to obtain” | 2025 survey data |
Sources: NDARC Trends in Drug Markets, Use and Health Impacts in Australia: Cocaine, 2026; ACIC Illicit Drug Data Report 2020–21; AIHW Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs in Australia (April 2026); Australian Institute of Health and Welfare — Drug Treatment Data 2023–24
The population-level cocaine data tracks a story of sustained and significant growth in use across Australia. The 4.5% past-year use rate recorded in 2022–23 is not only the highest in two decades — it is more than four times the rate recorded in 2004, when just 1 in 100 Australians aged 14 and over reported using cocaine in the previous year. The 499% increase in cocaine arrests between 2011–12 and 2020–21 — from just 995 arrests to 5,958 in a single year — reflects both a genuine growth in use and an increase in law enforcement focus on cocaine-related offending. The growth in treatment episodes — from 2.8 per 100,000 people in 2013–14 to 11.6 per 100,000 in 2023–24 — is a health system indicator that use is not only more prevalent but also reaching individuals experiencing harm serious enough to seek professional support.
The fact that over 40% of regular stimulant users in the 2025 survey described cocaine as “very easy to obtain” is perhaps the most telling availability indicator of all. Perceived availability correlates strongly with actual supply, and in a year when 7,800 kg was seized at the border and consumption wastewater data continued hitting records, the drug is clearly reaching Australian communities in volumes that make it accessible to a wide and apparently growing user base. Among those presenting for ambulance attendance related to cocaine, the 15–34 age group accounts for the majority — with the 15–24 bracket recording the highest rate of attendances per 100,000 people. This demographic concentration in the cocaine bust and use data helps explain why Australian authorities treat the cocaine market not merely as a law enforcement challenge, but as a genuine and escalating public health concern.
Cocaine Trafficking Routes and Methods in Australia 2026
PRIMARY COCAINE IMPORT METHODS — AUSTRALIA 2026 (LAW ENFORCEMENT OBSERVATIONS)
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Maritime (bulk vessels, mother ships) │ ████████████████████████ Dominant route
Shipping containers (sea cargo) │ ███████████████████ High volume
Air cargo & mail │ █████████ Secondary
Pacific island transshipment hubs │ ████████████ Emerging/growing
Refrigerated containers (Sydney) │ ██████ Established trend
Cruise ship passengers │ ██ Supplementary
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Source: AFP/ABF Media Releases 2025-2026; ACIC Intelligence Assessments
| Trafficking Method / Route | Notable 2025–2026 Example | Weight Involved | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulk maritime vessel — Pacific route | MV Wealth (Solomon Islands, Operation Minjiang) | 2,700+ kg | Vessel detained for investigation |
| Sea cargo shipping containers | Port Botany (Dec 2025), Brisbane (May 2025) | 27 kg / 253 kg | Ongoing interception trend |
| Refrigerated container concealment | Sydney — ongoing since April 2023 | 1+ tonne total since detection trend began | Actively targeted by AFP/ABF |
| Coastal vessel drop — Pacific | Nambucca Heads, NSW coast (May 2025) | 1,000+ kg | Maritime interception |
| Marine engine concealment | Gold Coast hinterland (July 2025) | 140 kg | Charged; domestic distribution |
| Cruise ship passenger importation | Sydney Harbour (March 2025 — Brazilian national) | 10 kg | Charged at Sydney Harbour |
| Air cargo / international passenger | Melbourne Airport (January 2025 — Portuguese national) | — (methamphetamine precedent) | Charged |
| Pacific transshipment hubs | Fiji, French Polynesia, Vanuatu used as transit | Bulk shipments routed via Pacific | Identified by ACIC/AFP |
Sources: Australian Federal Police Media Releases 2025–2026; Australian Border Force Newsroom 2025–2026; ACIC Intelligence Assessments on Cocaine Trafficking; NDARC Trends in Drug Markets, Use and Health Impacts in Australia: Cocaine, 2026
The trafficking routes and methods behind Australia’s cocaine bust statistics reveal a supply chain of considerable sophistication and geographic reach. Colombia remains the dominant source country — responsible for approximately 70% of global cocaine production according to the UNODC — with bulk shipments typically routed across the Pacific Ocean through French Polynesia, Fiji, and Vanuatu before making the final approach to Australia’s eastern coastline. The mother ship model — where large vessels carry multi-tonne loads and smaller vessels collect and ferry drugs to shore — was central to Operation Minjiang in 2026, with the MV Wealth detained by Solomon Islands authorities as part of the investigation into the 2.7-tonne Londonderry bust. This same model was used in the November 2024 Operation Tyrrendor seizure and the May 2025 NSW coastal vessel interception, confirming it as the preferred bulk delivery mechanism.
The refrigerated container trend documented by the AFP since April 2023 deserves particular attention. This method involves cocaine concealed in the wall panels or engine compartments of industrial refrigerated shipping containers used by legitimate businesses to import perishable goods such as berries. Criminal networks recruit or coerce trusted insiders to access container facilities and extract the drugs post-import, creating a threat not just to border security but to the safety of workers at port facilities. The January 2025 Sydney seizure of 41 kg from two refrigerated containers — one from Chile, one from Belgium — was part of a pattern that by early 2025 had already yielded more than a tonne of cocaine across multiple interceptions from this category alone. This exploitation of legitimate trade infrastructure, combined with the near-simultaneous use of bulk maritime vessels for multi-tonne shipments, reflects the layered and redundant approach criminal networks are deploying to ensure some portion of their supply reaches the Australian domestic market regardless of interdiction losses.
Disclaimer: The data research report we present here is based on information found from various sources. We are not liable for any financial loss, errors, or damages of any kind that may result from the use of the information herein. We acknowledge that though we try to report accurately, we cannot verify the absolute facts of everything that has been represented.
