Australian police have made a major breakthrough in dismantling a high-profile drug trafficking ring dubbed “The Commission,” which authorities say imported over a ton of cocaine into the country in just a few months. In a series of raids, six men aged between 25 and 34 were arrested, and police seized more than 30 kilograms of cocaine, including 20 kilograms that had been stashed in a bag and thrown over a fence. Authorities allege that this is just a fraction of the total amount trafficked by the group, with an estimated 1.2 tons of cocaine smuggled into Australia between February and July of this year.
The New South Wales (NSW) Police Force revealed that the street value of the seized drugs is about $1 billion USD. The arrests followed the execution of 20 search warrants across homes in Sydney early Wednesday morning. In addition to the cocaine, police confiscated 10 vehicles, $800,000 in cash, a Rolex watch, four guns, two ballistic vests, and multiple electronic devices. Hidden compartments in some of the vehicles reportedly contained 12 kilograms of cocaine.
Photos released by the police show bundles of drugs marked with symbols such as four-leaf clovers, Toyota logos, and fighter jets, hinting at the branding used by the trafficking syndicate. Organized crime detective Peter Faux explained that “The Commission” operated as the financial backbone of Sydney’s criminal underworld, supplying cocaine on a massive scale. He added that the arrests would likely disrupt the drug supply chain and “result in many criminals becoming unemployed.”
NSW Police Force Commissioner Karen Webb emphasized the significance of the bust, stating that the group’s cocaine trade had fueled organized crime and violence in Sydney for years. She expressed confidence that the arrests would make the city safer and reduce the availability of this dangerous drug.
While this operation is a major victory in the fight against drug trafficking, it is separate from other recent high-profile arrests, including the capture of a 32-year-old Australian man accused of creating the encrypted “Ghost” app, which allowed criminals to arrange drug deals and contract killings. There was also no connection to an earlier case this year in which bricks of cocaine mysteriously washed up on Australian beaches.
The Australian authorities’ efforts to curb drug smuggling continue, and this significant operation underscores their determination to disrupt the supply of narcotics and combat organized crime.
