International operation leads to seizure of seaborne containers laden with cocaine

Over half a tonne of cocaine has been prevented from reaching Australian shores during an operation led by the Australian Border Force (ABF).

ABF, working in partnership with customs authorities from Jamaica, the United States, France in French Polynesia and New Caledonia, and New Zealand have combined efforts and resources targeting the "rip" concealment methodology within the Pacific maritime supply chain.

ABF said the rip concealment method utilises tampered shipping containers, usually by corrupt port workers, to insert illegal drugs into various locations on a shipping container after it has been cleared through local customs or, by recovering the narcotics from a targeted container prior to its examination.

The two-month joint operation took place throughout April and May 2025 and used data visualisation tools, tracking, inspection technologies and real-time information sharing, which led to the seizure of over 500 kgs of cocaine.

During the operation over 142 kg of cocaine was seized in French Polynesia hidden within insulation panels in a refrigeration unit. Another detection saw over 67 kg of cocaine seized in New Caledonia buried behind panels in a shipping container, and over 285 kgs of cocaine was detected – across three other separate seizures – hidden within shipping containers arriving into Melbourne.

"The rip method is becoming a hugely popular method of evasion, but it is only a possible strategy due to the increase of trusted insiders and criminal infiltration throughout the global supply chain," said ABF Commander International Claire Rees.

Agencies involved in the operation included ABF, French Customs (New Caledonia Regional Customs Directorate, French Polynesia Regional Customs Directorate), the Jamaica Customs Agency, the New Zealand Customs Service, and US Homeland Security Investigations.