400kg of cocaine at the centre of feud between NSW Police, AFP

Four hundred kilograms of missing cocaine— which allegedly sparked Sydney’s gang war— is believed to be behind a falling out between NSW Police and the AFP.

A number of NSW detectives suspect the disappearance of 400 kilograms of cocaine which allegedly sparked a Sydney gang war was in fact confiscated and destroyed by Australian Federal Police.

In 2020, the underworld was buzzing with news a $100 million dollar drug shipment belonging to the Comanchero bikie gang had been stolen.

However, some in NSW Police believe the cocaine was never stolen, but was seized by the Australian Federal Police.

“Some investigators blame the feds for the missing importation, saying it never made it off the wharves and the feds destroyed it,’’ said a recently retired officer.

“There was suspicion on the street everywhere and that ignited tensions between the groups. There are some who firmly believe there was no theft and it was stuffed up by the federal agency.”

400 kilograms of cocaine has allegedly sparked a major feud between NSW Police and the AFP.

He said it has been the AFP’s practice for many years to seize and destroy imported drug hauls at the first opportunity, instead of waiting to follow the haul’s distribution before making arrests.

Despite the rumours, a number of senior police still believe the shipment landed and was taken to a warehouse in Sydney, from where it was stolen by a rival gang.

Senior NSW Police have alleged the missing cocaine sparked the gang war..

Fingers were pointed at the Hamzy family and it’s suspected to have ignited the horrific gang war on Sydney’s streets which raged for two years and claimed over a dozen lives.

A senior NSW Police officer said the AFP policy of seizing drugs without a full investigation into its potential distributors often caused a major headache for state police.

“People have debts when a shipment is seized. Coke is promised to people and when it does not eventuate there are problems. Kidnappings start to get money to cover debts,’’ said a senior officer.

“The feds don’t care, they take the view that the drugs are off the street and they have saved lives and that’s that. We have to deal with the flow on. It’s not just a problem in NSW but other states as well.”

Senior police sources took aim at the AFP over the cocaine haul.

“The feds stand next to a pile of drugs, get their photos taken and we are left to clean up the shitfight left behind.”

This difference in drug-stopping techniques is believed to be at the heart of a disagreement between NSW Police and the AFP, which resulted in US Drug Enforcement Agency officers being asked to leave Australia. It’s understood the DEA preferred the state’s approach, earning the AFP’s ire.

Underworld sources said they had not heard the theory the AFP had taken the drugs, but said it could explain why no one was ever identified by other crooks as the thief.

“The stamp (identifying mark on blocks of cocaine) never turned up on the street, so maybe it wasn’t stolen,’’ said one source.

Another said at least four or five major players were considered suspects.

“I don’t think anyone in the Commos ever thought maybe it was the cops that got it,’’ he said.

The AFP didn’t comment.