Security helps police make major drug bust shipping container
Sydney AU May 28 2023
A security guard has helped police make a 120-kilogram cocaine bust at a port in south-east Sydney last Thursday, which lead to the arrest of two men from Greece.
NSW Police were called to a break-and-enter at a logistics company at Port Botany after the security guard found a 27-year-old man among the shipping containers.
He was later arrested at the scene, but another man managed to escape.
After searching the area, police found a container from Italy packed with $60 million worth of cocaine in 1kg bricks stored within its walls.
Acting Superintendent Matthew Kennedy said they used a popular smuggling technique.
“They use legitimate containers, legitimate companies to piggyback and import drugs into Australia,” Superintendent Kennedy said.
“They’ve [the companies] got no idea the organised crime syndicates are using them to put the prohibited drugs in to import into the country.”
He said smugglers then attempt to break into the port and the shipping container before the drugs are detected.
On Thursday, the 27-year-old was charged with enter enclosed lands, assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and malicious damage.
But police said today that more charges were likely.
He has been refused bail and is due back in court on Tuesday, June 13.
