Seven men have been charged following a multi-agency crackdown on a major drug and illicit tobacco operation allegedly run through a Sydney freight forwarding company.
The investigation, led by the Multi Agency Strike Team (MAST), uncovered the alleged importation of more than 20 million illicit cigarettes from the United Arab Emirates, along with large quantities of illegal drugs including liquid methamphetamine and a planned 50kg cocaine shipment from Panama.
MAST – comprising 41 officers from the NSW Police Force, Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force, NSW Crime Commission, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, AUSTRAC and the ATO – was formed to target “trusted insiders” assisting transnational crime syndicates.
Investigators allege a 42-year-old man used a Punchbowl-based freight forwarding business to bring in both illicit drugs and tobacco. He was arrested on 30 May 2025 in Wetherill Park and later charged with multiple offences including three counts of importing large quantities of tobacco, as well as drug and organised crime offences.
Police also seized 243 boxes of tobacco from two storage facilities in Moorebank during the coordinated operation.
A 36-year-old man was arrested the following day at Sydney Airport and charged with importing large quantities of tobacco and participating in a criminal group. He appeared in court on 2 June 2025.
In a statement, NSW Police said the strike force “leverages the capabilities, resources and legislative powers” of both state and federal law enforcement agencies to disrupt serious organised crime operations.
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