A 32-year old Sunshine north man with alleged links to international organised crime has been charged over his alleged involvement in a plot to import 70kg of cocaine.
The man is one of two brothers who were charged in April this year over their alleged links to a ‘rip crew’ that was accused of breaking into a shipping container at the Port of Melbourne in March, 2025, to access a consignment they allegedly believed contained cocaine.
However, authorities had already discovered and removed 70kg of cocaine and two GPS trackers hidden inside the shipment of industrial machinery.
A ‘rip crew’ is a group of professionals hired by criminal syndicates to retrieve illegally imported drugs from high-security areas.
When two men, dressed in black clothes and balaclavas, allegedly broke into the precinct with bolt cutters on Monday, March 10, they retrieved packages of an inert substance the Australian Federal Police (AFP) had placed in the container.
As a result of inquiries, the AFP executed a search warrant at the Sunshine North man’s home on Wednesday, April 2 and charged him over the alleged discovery of small quantities of illicit drugs at the property.
Police also seized a mobile phone for digital forensic analysis.
While examining this device, the AFP allegedly found evidence linking the man to the plot to retrieve the 70kg of cocaine which had been imported into Australia via sea cargo.
As a result of the new alleged evidence, the man was taken into custody on Thursday, June 5 and appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates Court the following day charged with two counts.
The man was remanded in custody to reappear in court on Wednesday, July 23 this year.
