AFP Links 320kg Meth Seizure in Australia to Ghana Shipment Disguised as Charcoal
Australian authorities have charged three people over a failed importation of 320kg of methamphetamine concealed in a shipping consignment that originated from Ghana, the Australian Federal Police has disclosed.
The AFP said the investigation began in April 2026 after Australian Border Force officers at Sydney’s Port Botany detected anomalies in two shipping containers declared as bags of charcoal and shipped from Ghana.
X-ray and forensic tests confirmed the consignment contained about 320kg of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $296 million.
According to the AFP, the drugs were removed, and the consignment was delivered to a storage facility in Girraween on April 20, 2026, as part of a controlled operation.
It is alleged that a UK national later attended the facility, supervised the unpacking of the container, and had bags loaded into a vehicle that was driven to a house in Blacktown, New South Wales.
Police arrested the woman there and seized 32 bags allegedly used to contain the drugs, plus electronic devices and a notebook.
The UK woman was charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs under subsection 307.5 of the Criminal Code (Cth), which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
She was refused bail last month and is expected to appear before Downing Centre Local Court today, June 18, 2026.
Further inquiries led AFP officers to execute a search warrant at Oakden, South Australia, on April 30, 2026.
An Adelaide-based couple, aged 30 and 32, were arrested and charged for allegedly attempting to rent storage units in Sydney using false identities to house the consignment.
They appeared in Adelaide Magistrates Court on 1 May 2026 on charges including dealing in identification information to facilitate drug possession and failing to comply with a court order.
Both were remanded in custody to reappear on September 2, 2026.
AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Trevor Robinson said the operation shows how the AFP and partners are “stopping organised crime syndicates in their tracks.”
He noted the seizure prevented an estimated 3.2 million individual drug deals from reaching Australian streets.
ABF Superintendent Jared Leighton said the case highlights the lengths criminal syndicates will go to disguise illicit drugs, including embedding them in everyday goods like charcoal.
He added that ABF officers remain vigilant at the border and will continue working closely with law enforcement partners to ensure those involved in trafficking are detected and held accountable.
The AFP said investigations are ongoing to identify the suppliers and key facilitators of the importation in West Africa.
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