Three people have been charged after Australian authorities intercepted a 320-kilogram methamphetamine shipment concealed inside containers that arrived in Sydney from Ghana, according to Marine Insight, a maritime news and training platform.
The Australian Border Force (ABF) detected irregularities in April 2026 in two containers declared as carrying charcoal at Sydney’s Port Botany. X-ray scans revealed a white crystalline substance, which forensic testing confirmed as methamphetamine. Authorities put the total seizure at around 320 kg, with an estimated street value of AU$296 million (US$208 million) and the potential to yield around 3.2 million street-level deals.
The drugs were removed under controlled conditions, and the containers were delivered to a storage facility in Girraween, in western Sydney, on April 20. Investigators say a UK woman later attended the facility and supervised the unloading of bags from the containers. The bags were then taken to a property in Blacktown, where the Australian Federal Police (AFP) searched the address and arrested her.
Police recovered 32 bags believed to have previously contained methamphetamine, along with electronic devices and a notebook now under examination.She has been charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, an offence carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
She was refused bail and was due to appear at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on June 18, 2026.
Further inquiries led police to a property in Oakden, South Australia, on April 30, where a 30-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man were arrested.
Police allege the pair attempted to rent storage units in Sydney using false identities to support the operation. They have been charged with dealing in identification information to help commit an offence, and with failing to comply with a court order, offences carrying maximum penalties of five and ten years in prison respectively.
The pair appeared in Adelaide Magistrates Court on May 1 and were remanded in custody. Their next court date is August 2.
AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Trevor Robinson said the investigation is ongoing and is focused on those behind the wider network.
Officials said the seizure prevented a large quantity of drugs from reaching Australian streets and underscored ongoing efforts to stop smuggling through international shipping routes.
