NSW drug bust: Over 300kg of illicit drugs seized, seven men charged over meth, cocaine, tobacco smuggling

Seven men have been charged with drug importation offences following a major investigation into a criminal syndicate allegedly importing illicit drugs into Sydney.

The investigation, which was led by the Multi Agency Strike Team (MAST), targeted “trusted insiders” who were assisting serious transnational organised crime impacting NSW.

Strike Force Aulic was established in September 2023 to investigate the activities of a 42-year-old man and his associates, who were allegedly circumventing border controls to import and supply large quantities of prohibited drugs and illicit tobacco.

Police discovered the man was using a freight forwarding company in Punchbowl to facilitate the importation of drugs, including 280kg of liquid methamphetamine hidden in an industrial cooler that was sent from Vancouver, Canada, in July 2024.

Two men, aged 43 and 31, were seen accessing the cooler in August 2024 and preparing to extract the liquid methamphetamine at a Riverstone property.

The 43-year-old man was arrested on the same day at a fast-food restaurant in Londonderry.

A subsequent search warrant was executed in Londonderry, where police located and seized gel blasters, a methamphetamine cookbook, and other items consistent with drug manufacture and supply.

The man was charged with 17 offences, including attempted possession of a commercial quantity of an unlawful drug import and firearm offences. He was refused bail.

MAST investigators also arrested a 31-year-old man at a Box Hill property on the same day, who was charged with participating in a criminal group and granted conditional bail.

Police said in a statement they continued to investigate the 42-year-old man, who allegedly used the freight forwarding company to import three additional consignments, containing more than 20 million cigarettes from the United Arab Emirates.

In May 2025, MAST investigators established the man was planning to import 50kg of cocaine in a shipping container from Panama, concealed in cement bags.

It will be further alleged the 42-year-old sought the assistance from two men, who flew in from Canada, to retrieve the cocaine from the cement bags and supply it to organised crime groups in NSW.

On Friday, investigators arrested four men in Wetherill Park and executed six search warrants in Moorebank, Punchbowl, Smithfield, Doonside and Mt Annan.

The 42-year-old was charged with several offences, including three counts of importing large quantities of tobacco, two counts of attempting to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, money laundering, directing a criminal group and participating in a criminal group.

He remains in custody and is due to face Downing Centre Local Court on July 31.

Another 42-year-old man was also charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug and participating in a criminal group. He is due to reappear in court on June 5.

The two Canadian nationals, aged 24 and 31, were both charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border-controlled drug and participating in a criminal group.

Both were refused bail and are due to appear in Downing Centre Local Court on June 13.

During the coordinated raids, police also seized 243 boxes of tobacco at two storage facilities at Moorebank.

After further inquiries, detectives arrested a 36-year-old man at Sydney Airport on Saturday evening. He was charged with importing large quantities of tobacco and participating in a criminal group.