Three charged following alleged 120kg cocaine import into Melbourne

THREE people have been charged over the alleged importation of 120 kilograms of cocaine into Melbourne, after Australian Border Force officers detected suspected drugs concealed in furniture shipped from Greece.

A 49-year-old Pascoe Vale South woman, a 31-year-old Rockbank man and a 40-year-old Cairnlea man were arrested on 20 October following an investigation by the Victorian Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (JOCTF).

All three were charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug and attempting to possess a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border-controlled drug. The offences carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

The investigation began on 9 October when ABF officers detected anomalies in a consignment of two cabinets declared as household furniture.

An X-ray examination revealed 120 packages of suspected drugs concealed in the cabinets. Presumptive testing identified the substance as cocaine.

The matter was referred to the Victorian JOCTF, which removed the drugs and conducted a controlled delivery to a storage facility in Essendon.

Police allege the woman was the consignee and attended the facility on 20 October to coordinate the collection and movement of the shipment.

Investigators identified the two men during the controlled delivery. Police allege the Rockbank man drove the consignment to an address in Keilor, where it was opened and divided.

Part of the shipment was transferred to a second vehicle and taken to Glenroy, where the Cairnlea man was arrested. Police allege the Rockbank man drove the other vehicle to an address in Rockbank, where he was intercepted and arrested.

Taskforce members arrested the woman at an address in Pascoe Vale the same day.

The three appeared in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 21 October. The two men were refused bail, while the woman was granted conditional bail. All three are due to return to the court on 10 February 2027.

The Victorian JOCTF comprises the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police, ABF and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.

AFP detective superintendent Ray Imbriano said organised crime groups used a range of concealment methods to try to evade law enforcement.

“Criminal syndicates are constantly looking for ways to smuggle illicit drugs into Australia to make a profit, but the AFP and our law enforcement partners remain committed to identifying and disrupting those attempts,” Det Supt Imbriano said.

“The AFP and our law enforcement partners work tirelessly to keep illegal drugs off the streets and away from Australian communities. Every drug seizure represents harm prevented, criminal profits blocked and safer communities.”

Victoria Police Organised Crime Division detective superintendent Dave Cowan said the arrests had disrupted significant drug trafficking and prevented dangerous drugs from reaching Victoria’s streets.

“Illicit drugs continue to be a key driver of organised crime in Victoria, generating profits for criminals that enable them to expand their offending in the community,” Det Supt Cowan said.

“We are taking every opportunity to dismantle the organised importation of drugs, regardless of the concealment methods offenders use to get them here.

“Alongside our partner agencies, we are committed to making Victoria as hostile an environment as possible for anyone associated with the trafficking of drugs.”

ABF acting superintendent Peter Alderson said officers’ targeting expertise and examination capabilities were critical to detecting the concealment.

“ABF officers are highly skilled at identifying anomalies in cargo consignments and uncovering sophisticated concealment methods used by organised crime groups attempting to import illicit drugs,” a/Supt Alderson said.

“Working alongside our law enforcement partners, the ABF is committed to disrupting criminal syndicates and preventing harmful drugs from reaching Australian streets.”

Executive Director collection operations Andrew Clunas said the charges highlighted the taskforce’s role in disrupting organised crime and protecting the community.

“The charges laid demonstrate the importance of the Victorian JOCTF’s ongoing efforts to identify, investigate and disrupt serious and organised criminal activity,” Executive Director Clunas said.

“Illicit drugs generate substantial profits for organised crime groups, enabling them to expand their criminal enterprises and reinvest in other forms of serious offending.”