Six people have been charged over their alleged roles in an organised crime plot to import and distribute cocaine and methamphetamine along Australia’s east coast.
The Queensland Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (QJOCTF) seized 178kg of cocaine and 142kg of meth – with a combined estimated street value of $100 million – during a three-week investigation.
The Queensland JOCTF is comprised of the AFP, Queensland Police Service (QPS), Australian Border Force (ABF), Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), Australian Transactions Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) and Australian Tax Office (ATO).
Operation Minjiang began in late May, after 40kg of cocaine was located in the water off a boat ramp at Midge Point, in North Queensland, by the QPS. A burnt-out flatbed truck with a crane was found on a dock adjacent to where the drugs were found.
The cocaine is alleged to be part of a larger importation originating from two tenders – dispatched from a larger mothership in deeper water – which moored at the shoreline. The alleged mother vessel was identified as the MV Wealth and has been detained by authorities in the Solomon Islands for further investigation.
A Mackay region man, 41, was identified as the owner of the flatbed truck and charged by the QJOCTF on 6 June, 2026, with one count of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug contrary to section 307.5(1), by virtue of section 11.1, of the Criminal Code (Cth). This offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
It will be alleged in court he facilitated the collection of the drugs in Midge Point and drove the consignment down to Brisbane.
He was remanded into custody and is next expected to appear before Brisbane Magistrates Court on 19 June, 2026.
Further investigations identified a suspected Brisbane-based safehouse had been used to temporarily store drugs imported in this alleged criminal enterprise.
On 9 June, 2026, a crime scene warrant was executed at the suspected safehouse in Petrie, in Brisbane’s northern suburbs, where a 1kg brick of cocaine was located, along with other drug paraphernalia. A man, 32, was charged with:
- One count of possessing a dangerous drug, contrary to section 9 of the Drugs and Misuse Act (Qld). This offence carries a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment.
- One count of dealing with money or property worth less than $100,000 reasonably suspected of being the proceeds of crime, contrary to section 400.9 of the Criminal Code (Cth). This offence carries a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment.
It will be alleged the Petrie man lived at the location and facilitated the storage of the drugs on behalf of the syndicate, before they were subsequently moved. He was remanded into custody and is next expected to appear before Brisbane Magistrate’s Court on 5 August, 2026.
Investigators then worked to identify several individuals who allegedly had involvement in storage of the drugs and their movement from the Petrie home.
A Middle Park man, 32, was identified and charged on 12 June, 2026, with one count of possessing a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border-controlled drug, contrary to section 307.5 of the Criminal Code (Cth). This offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. It will be alleged he was to transport a portion of the drugs to Sydney.
A search warrant was executed at a Middle Park home, with electronic devices seized for forensic examination. He was remanded into custody and is next expected to appear before Brisbane Magistrate’s Court on 3 July, 2026.
On Saturday, 13 June, 2026, a search warrant was executed at an Eagleby home, south of Brisbane, which was connected to another alleged member of the syndicate.
Investigators seized various items which led to the identification of a Mount Cotton home the Eagleby man had visited. During a subsequent search of the location, investigators located 178kg of cocaine and 142kg of meth inside a van parked at the property. Police suspect the owners of the Mount Cotton property were not aware of the contents of the van, and they are not considered suspects in the investigation.
It will be alleged the drugs are from the Midge Point importation.
The Eagleby man, 28, was charged with one count of possessing a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border-controlled drug, contrary to section 307.5 of the Criminal Code (Cth). This offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. He was remanded into custody and is next expected to appear before Brisbane Magistrate’s Court on 19 June, 2026.
Further enquiries resulted in the QJOCTF executing a search warrant at a Hillcrest home on Tuesday (16 June, 2026), where a man, 28, was charged with:
- One count of possessing a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border-controlled drug, contrary to section 307.5 of the Criminal Code (Cth). This carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
- One count of contravening an order (order to provide access to electronic devices), contrary to section 3LA(5) of the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth). This carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.
It will be alleged the Hillcrest man attended the Petrie safehouse with the Eagleby and Middle Park men to arrange the ongoing movement and potential distribution of the drugs.
The Hillcrest man appeared in Beenleigh Magistrates Court yesterday (17 June, 2026), and was remanded to re-appear at the same court tomorrow (19 June, 2026).
AFP investigators in Sydney executed a search warrant at a Green Valley home yesterday (17 June, 2026), which was linked to a man alleged to have travelled to Midge Point in May and who allegedly helped facilitate the collection and transportation of the drugs in concert with the Mackay region man.
A Green Valley man, 24, was arrested and is expected to be extradited to Queensland to be charged with:
- One count of possessing a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border-controlled drug, contrary to section 307.5 of the Criminal Code (Cth); and
- One count of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug contrary to s307.5(1) and by virtue of s11.1 of the Criminal Code (Cth).
The maximum penalty for each offence is life imprisonment.
He is expected to appear before Sydney Downing Centre Court today (18 June, 2026), where the AFP will apply to extradite him to Queensland.
Investigations into this matter are ongoing and further arrests have not been ruled out.
AFP Commander Stephen Jay said the AFP continued to work closely with law enforcement partners to stop harmful, illicit drugs from reaching Australian communities.
“Organised criminals are sending their illicit business to our shores because of the insatiable Australian demand for illegal commodities and the community’s willingness to pay top dollar for them – it is that simple,” Commander Jay said.
“The AFP and our partners, through the Queensland Joint Organised Crime Task Force, work diligently to identify, arrest and charge anyone involved in the importation of border-controlled drugs.
“I want to thank all officers involved for their commitment and dedication in this complex, multi-faceted investigation, which we will allege has disrupted an organised crime syndicate seeking to distribute these drugs along Australia’s east coast.”
Queensland Police Service Crime Command Detective Acting Chief Superintendent Troy Pukallus said the QPS had a broad remit, from addressing everyday crime in our communities to targeting the organised criminal networks that profited from exploitation and harm.
“We have made a significant disruption to an organised crime syndicate with this seizure of cocaine and methamphetamine, and prevented a significant quantity of dangerous drugs from reaching Queensland streets and causing further harm to individuals and families,” Detective Acting Chief Superintendent Pukallus said.
“This complex investigation highlights the value of strong partnerships, beginning with the work of Mackay police and the Mackay Criminal Investigation Branch and extending through the Queensland Joint Organised Crime Taskforce and our Commonwealth partners.
“Results like this are only possible through trusted relationships between frontline and specialist officers, our law enforcement partners and the community.”
