SYDNEY, June 23 (Xinhua) -- Six men from the eastern Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) have been charged over an alleged attempt to import 120 kg of cocaine from the U.S. and the subsequent discovery of a drug laboratory.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Border Force (ABF) said on Tuesday that an investigation began in December 2025 when officers intercepted a consignment from California containing four vehicle transmissions.
The components were dismantled, and 120 kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of 39 million Australian dollars (about 27.2 million U.S. dollars) was located hidden inside the transmissions.
AFP investigators subsequently executed search warrants at four NSW properties on June 18.
At one of the properties in the small town of Kingsdale, 165 km southwest of Sydney, police discovered a large-scale commercial-grade clandestine laboratory believed to have been used to manufacture commercial quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine.
Another 44 kg of cocaine and 2 kg of methamphetamine were seized from the property, and four men, aged 35, 41, 45 and 49, were arrested and each charged with offenses, including trafficking in commercial quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine.
If convicted, all four men face maximum penalties of life imprisonment.
Two more men, aged 56 and 52, were arrested at other properties and charged with lesser offenses. ■