Three New South Wales men have been charged over their alleged involvement in a $555 million methamphetamine importation, with nearly 600 kilograms of the drug hidden inside fabric rolls intercepted at the Port of Brisbane.
The trio, aged 22, 24, and 28, were arrested on Monday, 14 July 2025, and are set to face the Brisbane Magistrates Court today (16 July). They each face one count of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border-controlled drug — an offence carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
AFP Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer said the bust highlights the agency’s relentless fight against transnational organised crime. “The people behind importations like this have no regard for the harm and damage that illicit drugs wreak on the Australian community,” he said.
“Criminals will stop at nothing to import harmful drugs into Australia to fill their pockets.”
Australian Border Force (ABF) officers in Queensland flagged and intercepted a suspicious sea cargo consignment from Thailand on 4 July, declared as ‘UV protective fabrics’. Forensic testing later revealed 597 kilograms of methamphetamine tightly concealed within 200 rolls of fabric, packed in eight wooden crates.
Following the handover to the Australian Federal Police (AFP), authorities removed the drugs and allowed the consignment to be delivered to a warehouse in Bowen Hills, in Brisbane’s inner north. It’s alleged the three men were observed at the site — two were reportedly unravelling the fabric rolls, while the third visited a nearby business to buy an electronic scale, presumably to weigh the illicit substance.
The men were arrested by the Queensland Joint Organised Crime Task Force (QJOCTF) and taken to the Brisbane City Watchhouse. Subsequent searches of the warehouse and two vehicles uncovered four mobile phones, approximately $7,000 in cash, and tools believed to be used to access the concealed drugs.
Authorities estimate the seized meth could have resulted in six million individual street deals.
ABF Acting Assistant Commissioner James Copeman praised the officers who detected the concealment, describing it as a “sophisticated operation” that was foiled thanks to world-class targeting and a deep understanding of import patterns.
“The skill and vigilance of ABF teams ensured this dangerous cargo was stopped before it could reach Australian streets.”
Queensland Police Detective Inspector Stephen Tiernan said the successful sting was the result of strong collaboration across agencies.
“The QJOCTF will continue to target and dismantle these criminal networks to prevent illicit drugs impacting the Queensland community.”
Investigations into the wider criminal syndicate remain ongoing.
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