Two Melbourne Siblings Facing Charges After Police Find 80Kg of Cocaine and Firearms
The Australian Federal Police have stated that the men are connected to an international organised crime syndicate.
Australian Federal Police (AFP) intercepted over 80 kilograms of cocaine, a high-powered rifle, and two handguns from two brothers arrested in Melbourne as part of a surveillance operation.
Authorities claim that the men have ties to organised crime.
In March, the AFP identified a “rip crew” linked to the brothers, a group hired by criminal syndicates to retrieve illegally imported drugs from secure locations.
The crew planned to target a container at the Port of Melbourne allegedly connected to the brothers.
In collaboration with the Australian Border Force (ABF), the AFP inspected the container, revealing the cocaine and two GPS trackers concealed in a shipment of industrial machinery.
The drugs were replaced with a harmless substance before surveillance commenced on March 9.
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The next day, officers witnessed two individuals in black attire and balaclavas breaking into the storage area and taking the inert substance before departing in a vehicle.
Some of the inert substance, swapped for cocaine by Police, seized during the raids. Courtesy of the AFP
On April 2, the AFP conducted searches at various properties in Seabrook, Sunshine, Dallas, and West Melbourne, confiscating multiple cell phones, blocks of the inert substance, a high-powered rifle, two pistols, ammunition, various drugs, drug-related items, money, and jewelry.
- Attempting to possess a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported controlled drug
- Possessing a trafficable quantity of firearms
- Possessing a controlled drug
- Dealing in proceeds of crime worth $50,000 or more
He could face life imprisonment if convicted.
The younger brother, aged 32 from Sunshine, faces a charge of possession of a controlled drug, punishable by up to two years in prison.
The cocaine seized had an estimated street value of around $32 million and could have been divided into 40,000 individual street deals.
The AFP mentioned that investigations into the “rip crew” are ongoing, with the possibility of additional arrests.
Another of the guns found by AFP officers during the raid. Courtesy of the AFP
Authorities Warn of Organised Crime Activity
Detective Superintendent Simone Butcher highlighted that criminal syndicates’ actions in the drug trafficking industry were evident in this case.
“The use of a rip crew by the syndicate demonstrates how criminals employ other criminals as part of a dark underworld of illicit enterprise,” she stated.
“Trafficking cocaine and other illicit drugs destroys lives, damages communities, and fuels violence.
“Criminals are indifferent to the harm they cause and will go to great lengths to fill their pockets.”
Border Force Superintendent Dan Peters emphasized that the ABF remains vigilant against organized crime attempts to bypass Australia’s border security.
“Criminal enterprises often utilize extensive networks operating on a large international scale,” he said.
“For these criminals, there exists an extensive network of law enforcement agencies that share intelligence and can respond swiftly and decisively to such threats.”
