A British actress and an Adelaide-based couple have been charged by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) following a failed attempt to import 320 kilogrammes of methamphetamine from West Africa, concealed in bags of charcoal shipped from Ghana.
The AFP, in a statement, said it launched an investigation in April 2026 after Australian Border Force officers at Sydney’s Port Botany detected anomalies in two shipping containers from Ghana.
The consignment, which was purported to contain bags of charcoal, was subsequently X-rayed, with ABF officers locating a white crystallised substance. Preliminary testing returned a positive result for methamphetamine.
Forensic testing established the consignment contained approximately 320 kilograms of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $296 million. The drugs were removed, and the consignment was delivered to a storage facility in Girraween on April 20, 2026.
It is alleged that a British woman attended the storage facility and supervised a number of men as they unpacked the container. A number of bags were loaded into a vehicle and driven to a house in Blacktown. A short time later, AFP investigators executed a search warrant at the Blacktown home, where the woman was arrested.
Police located 32 bags at the house, which were allegedly those that had previously contained methamphetamine. Electronic devices and a notebook were also seized and will be subject to further forensic examination.
The woman was charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs, contrary to subsection 307.5 of the Criminal Code (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is life imprisonment. She was refused bail by the court last month and is expected to appear before the Downing Centre Local Court today, June 18, 2026.
Further inquiries resulted in AFP investigators executing an additional search warrant at a house in Oakden, South Australia, on April 30, 2026. A 30-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man were arrested for allegedly attempting to rent storage units in Sydney to house the consignment by using false identities.
The pair appeared in Adelaide Magistrates Court on May 1, 2026, each charged with one count of dealing in identification information using a carriage service, with the intention that any person would use the identification information to pretend to be, or to pass themselves off as, another person for the purpose of facilitating the commission of an offence, being the possession of a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug.
This offence carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment. They were also charged with one count of failing to comply with a 3LA order issued by the Magistrates Court of South Australia, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.
The couple were remanded in custody to reappear in Adelaide Magistrates Court on September 2, 2026.
AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Trevor Robinson said the AFP was continuing to investigate the suppliers and key facilitators of the drug importation.
“This operation highlights the agility of the AFP and our partners to investigate complex matters across jurisdictions and stop organised crime syndicates in their tracks,” he said. “The seizure of these drugs – with an estimated street value of $296 million – has prevented a potential 3.2 million deals from reaching Australian streets and demonstrates the AFP’s ability to operate seamlessly across borders.”
ABF Superintendent Jared Leighton said ABF officers remained vigilant in detecting illicit drug importations at the border. “Criminal syndicates will go to great lengths to disguise illicit drugs, including embedding them in everyday goods like charcoal, but our highly skilled officers are trained to see beyond these attempts,” he said.
“Working closely with our law enforcement partners, the ABF will ensure that those involved in trafficking illicit drugs are detected at the border and held accountable.”
