Editor’s note: Images of the amphetamine seizure are available via Hightail.
Investigations are continuing after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers foiled a large-scale criminal plot to import 900kg of amphetamine into NSW – one of the largest ever seizures of the drug in the state.
On Wednesday (20 August, 2025) ABF officers used existing intelligence profiles and targeted a container for examination after it arrived into Port Botany, NSW, from overseas.
The container, declared as ‘vegetable spring roll and more’, was x-rayed by ABF officers with anomalies noted. When they unpacked it, they found 100 boxes, each containing six rolls of plastic film wrapped around cardboard rolls.
The ABF detector dog unit was deployed and a positive reaction was given after one cardboard roll was drilled into, revealing white granules. The substance was tested and returned a positive result for amphetamine.
Concealed in the boxes were a total of 600 rolls of plastic film, each estimated to contain 1.5kg of amphetamine – also known as ‘speed’ – weighing about 900kg, with a total estimated street value of more than $64 million.
The matter was handed to the AFP, with search warrants executed at a North Shore home and a warehouse in Western Sydney this week.
Further investigations later determined the drugs were added to a legitimate importation without the business’ knowledge, and deemed to be the result of a transnational serious organised crime group attempting to import the drugs by piggybacking on the shipment of a legitimate Australian business.
AFP Detective Superintendent Morgen Blunden said investigators identified multiple incidents of illicit drugs being concealed under the guise of imports by a range of legitimate companies.
"The AFP is attending Port Botany on a regular basis and has seized multiple shipments containing a range of drugs," Det-Supt Blunden said.
ABF Superintendent Jared Leighton said this was a remarkable result by the ABF, one that demonstrated the success of intelligence-led border selection methodology.
“Containers aren’t randomly selected for inspection at our border; we use a sophisticated intelligence and risk assessment based approach, which has proven to yield significant results,” Supt Leighton said.
“The scale of harm that would have been caused if these drugs landed in our community is unimaginable, so I congratulate all the officers involved in this seizure.”
Enquiries into the importation remain ongoing.
Anyone with information about the importation of illicit goods and substances should contact Border Watch at abf.gov.au/borderwatch. By reporting suspicious activities, you help protect Australia's border and the community. Information can be provided anonymously.
