Photo credit: Australian Border Force
Two men have been sentenced to a combined six years’ imprisonment for their roles in a foiled plot to import 139kg of cocaine into Australia hidden inside a shipment of luxury buses. Operation Silkwood began in January 2024, after intelligence identified an alleged importation of cocaine concealed in a consignment of 13 luxury buses that was being transported on an international cargo ship destined for Adelaide, via Perth, said the Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force in a joint release.
The men, now aged 20 and 23, were charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of cocaine and pled guilty to the charge in late 2024.
They were each sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 18 months, by the District Court of South Australia on January 29, 2025.
Australian Border Force (ABF) officers searched the buses on January 28, 2024, after the ship arrived in Fremantle Harbour in Western Australia.
They found a number of packages, which returned a positive presumptive test for cocaine, in four of the buses. The matter was subsequently referred to the AFP.
The buses were offloaded on their arrival in Adelaide, with the ABF and South Australia Police assisting the operation.
On February 3, 2024, the two men forced entry into the buses and retrieved the consignment. They were subsequently arrested in a hotel in Port Adelaide and charged.
Melinda Adam, AFP detective superintendent, said the cocaine could have been sold as 695,000 ‘street level’ deals.
“We prevented these drugs from reaching our community and also stopped about $45 million going into the pockets of those involved in this illegal venture,” Adam said.
“The AFP is working closely with our partners to make South Australia as hostile as possible for drug traffickers and to stop them profiting at the community’s expense. Trafficking drugs and other illicit commodities destroy lives, damages communities and fuels violence.”
Prue Otto, ABF acting superintendent, said this result should act as a warning to anyone thinking about facilitating a criminal operation.
“Organised crime groups are seeking to import illicit drugs into Australia on an industrial scale. Drawn by the high street prices, criminals seek profits to fund lavish lifestyles and other criminal activities, and the cost of this greed is paid by the Australian community,” Otto said.
