A joint intelligence operation led by British agencies has dismantled Australia’s most prolific cocaine trafficking network, uncovering 2.3 tonnes of the drug hidden in shipments of industrial machinery. Sources confirm the bust, valued at over AUD $1.
5 billion street value, marks the largest seizure in Australian history. The operation, code-named “Hinterland,” involved MI6, the National Crime Agency, and Australian Federal Police, leveraging intercepted communications and deep-cover assets embedded in the cartel. Documents obtained by this newsroom reveal the syndicate used shell companies in Singapore and Dubai to launder proceeds through real estate and cryptocurrency.
One source described the network as “a corporate machine for death,” with ties to Colombian cartels and Italian organised crime. The British-led team tracked the drug route from South America to a warehouse in rural New South Wales, where a raid last week netted 12 arrests including a prominent Sydney businessman. His identity is being withheld pending charges.
The operation has exposed a gap in Australian border security and raised questions about political donations. A former intelligence officer said: “This is just the tip of the iceberg.” The revelation comes as the government faces scrutiny over its handling of organised crime.
No comment from the Home Office.