Three people have been charged over an alleged attempt to import 120kg of cocaine into Melbourne, with the drugs reportedly concealed inside two cabinets shipped from Greece and declared as household furniture.
The 49-year-old woman from Pascoe Vale South and two men, aged 31 and 40, were arrested on 20 October following an investigation by the Victorian Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (JOCTF).
Australian Border Force (ABF) officers detected anomalies in the consignment on 9 October and used X-ray examination to locate 120 packages of suspected drugs concealed inside the furniture. Presumptive testing indicated the substance was cocaine.
The shipment was referred to the JOCTF, which removed the drugs and arranged a controlled delivery to a storage facility in Essendon as part of the investigation.
Police allege the woman was the consignee and attended the storage 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 31-year-old drove the consignment from Essendon to an address in Keilor, where the shipment was opened and separated.
AFP Detective Superintendent Ray Imbriano said organised crime groups continued to use different concealment methods in attempts to smuggle illicit drugs into Australia.
“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.”
Victoria Police Detective Superintendent Dave Cowan said the arrests had disrupted an alleged drug-trafficking operation and prevented the drugs from reaching Victorian streets.
Australian Border Force Acting Superintendent Peter Alderson said officers’ targeting expertise and cargo examination capabilities had played a critical role in detecting the suspected cocaine.
Part of the consignment was allegedly transferred to a second vehicle and taken to an address in Glenroy, where the 40-year-old was arrested. The 31-year-old allegedly drove the other vehicle to an address in Rockbank, where police intercepted and arrested him. The woman was subsequently arrested at an address in Pascoe Vale.
All three have been 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 trio appeared in the 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 Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 10 February 2027. The offences carry maximum penalties of life imprisonment.
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