In a significant drug bust in one of Sydney’s affluent areas, police conducted raids on a residence and a nearby unit following the alleged attempt by a 40-year-old man to collect 30 kilograms of cocaine. The police intervened during what is referred to as a “dead drop,” a covert location in Alexandria where illicit drugs are exchanged.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) reported that the officers replaced the cocaine with an inert substance before apprehending the man, who was believed to be a part of a criminal syndicate smuggling drugs from abroad. During their operation, authorities seized a sports bag taken from a parked van, which the man allegedly retrieved before returning to his Double Bay home.
Subsequent searches at the Double Bay residence and the nearby unit resulted in the discovery of several encrypted mobile devices, the sports bag filled with the inert material, and anabolic steroids. Detective Superintendent Morgen Blunden of the AFP indicated that the seized cocaine would have a street value of approximately $9.7 million, representing around 150,000 individual deals.
The man has been charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of unlawfully imported border-controlled drugs and is scheduled to appear before Parramatta Local Court. If found guilty, he could face a severe sentence, potentially up to life imprisonment.