A Gold Coast man has been charged over his alleged involvement in the importation of 140 kilograms of cocaine.
The drugs were discovered by Border Force officers inside two wooden-crated marine engines that had arrived inside a sea container in Brisbane from California in October.
Testing returned a positive result for cocaine, with the matter referred to Australian Federal Police.
AFP investigators substituted the illicit drugs with an inert substance before placing the blocks back inside the engines.
The container was then delivered to a property at Mt Nathan on November 14, before the contents were removed and taken to a property in Wongawallen the following day.
Police will allege a man was seen visiting the Wongawallen property that evening to try and retrieve what he believed were the drugs, but left empty-handed.
Search warrants were executed at the man’s Burleigh Heads home on November 17, as well as the Mt Nathan and Wongawallen properties.
Image: Supplied
Two wooden crates and two large marine engines were located in a shed at the property in Wongawallan, as well as a forklift, which was allegedly hired by the man to move the crates.
Mobile phones and power tools were among the items seized from the properties.
Following an investigation, the 35-year-old man was yesterday charged with one count of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border-controlled drug.
He is due to front Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
The maximum penalty for the offence is life in jail.
AFP Acting Commander Adrian Telfer said the AFP and its partners remained committed to disrupting the supply of illicit drugs into Australia to protect the community from serious harm and heartache.
“Criminal syndicates will hide these hideous illicit drugs in all types of containers to smuggle them into our country and circulate them throughout our communities,” Acting Commander Telfer said.
“They prioritise profits over people’s lives and have zero regard for the pain and suffering they cause.
“The message to these criminals is a simple one. If you try to import illicit drugs into Australia, the AFP will find and destroy them, and you will be prosecuted.”
Image: Supplied
