A 24-year-old man from western Sydney has been charged with multiple drug possession and supply offences following Australian Federal Police (AFP) raids connected to a major international drug shipment concealed in a container of dates.
AFP Detective Acting Sergeant Brendan Hayler said investigations are ongoing to uncover the criminal syndicate behind the international operation. “It is very unusual to get the same consignment, which previously had illicit drugs in it, to arrive back in Sydney nine months later,” Det. a/Sgt Hayler said.
“We are seeking information from anyone who may have knowledge of the consignment or who has been offered bulk quantities of dates for sale recently.”
The AFP executed three search warrants yesterday at properties in Birrong, Smithfield and Cabramatta after identifying the man as a possible recipient of a shipping container involved in the case.
During the Birrong search, officers allegedly found 28 grams of suspected cocaine, nine MDMA pills, and drug paraphernalia in the man’s bedroom. He was arrested at the scene and charged with three counts of possessing a prohibited drug and one count of supplying a prohibited drug, under the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 (NSW).
The charges stem from an AFP investigation that began in December 2024, when Australian Border Force (ABF) officers intercepted a container at Port Botany containing 701 kilograms of methamphetamine and 21 kilograms of heroin concealed in boxes of dates. The shipment had been loaded in the United Arab Emirates, with investigators believing it originated elsewhere in the Middle East.
ABF Superintendent Jared Leighton said the seizure highlighted the strength of Australia’s border intelligence systems. “Criminals often attempt to conceal illicit drugs amongst legitimate goods, but our profiling and intelligence holdings mean we are one step ahead,” Supt. Leighton said.
“We will continue to stop dangerous drugs before they reach our communities.”
After the drugs were removed, the original consignment was returned overseas, only to resurface in Sydney nine months later. A second container—believed to be the same consignment of dates—arrived at Port Botany on 28 September 2025 and was later delivered to a premises in Smithfield, this time containing no illicit substances.
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