Whitsunday Drug Bust Linked To Australia's Largest Cocaine Haul

2.7-Tonne, $816 Million Drug Shipment Passed Through Whitsunday Waters

A truck fire at Midge Point has helped expose what authorities describe as Australia’s largest cocaine importation plot, with investigators alleging a 2.7-tonne drug shipment worth $816 million passed through Whitsunday waters before being transported to Sydney. The investigation has so far resulted in six arrests and uncovered an alleged trafficking operation spanning hundreds of kilometres along the east coast.

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Record Setting Drugs Smuggled into Midge Point

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A major drug investigation that started at Midge Point has resulted in Australia's largest-ever cocaine bust, with authorities alleging a 2.7-tonne shipment uncovered in Sydney was imported through North Queensland as part of an organised crime operation.  

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On Friday 19^th June, AFP officers searched a semi-rural property in Londonderry where, after two men allegedly fled the scene, they discovered containers of cocaine hidden beneath the floor boards. The seizure had an estimated street value of $816 million.

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On May 30^th 2026, at around 8:05, police were notified of a flatbed truck on fire right outside of a boat ramp on Jimmy Rocks Road, Midge Point.  

After a full investigation of the scene, police located 40kg of cocaine and later identified a 41-year-old Mackay man as the truck's owner, sending investigators on a trail that eventually landed them in Sydney.  

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Six people have now been charged over their alleged involvement in the operation, including two Petrie residents and a New South Wales man accused of helping collect and move the drugs after they arrived near Midge Point.  

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Police allege the group played various roles in the attempted importation and distribution network, charging individuals with offences related to possession of illicit drugs, or conspiracy to possess them.  

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“This result highlights the strength of the Queensland Joint Organised Crime Taskforce and the importance of strong partnerships between frontline police, specialist investigators and our Commonwealth law enforcement partners,” Detective Acting Chief Superintendent Troy Pukallus said in an AFP media release on June 22nd.  

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“This outcome has removed a significant quantity of cocaine and methamphetamine from the criminal market and prevented these dangerous drugs from causing further harm in Queensland and more broadly across Australia.

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“What began with the actions of Mackay police and the Mackay Criminal Investigation Branch following the discovery of drugs at Midge Point evolved into a sophisticated, multi-agency investigation targeting an organised criminal network.

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“Investigations of this scale require experience, persistence and collaboration, and I want to acknowledge the dedication of all officers involved in bringing this matter before the courts and protecting the community from the harm these drugs can cause.”

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The vessel suspected of importing the illicit drugs into Midge Point has been discovered and detained by authorities off the Solomon Islands.  

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