Drug lords use coconuts, pineapples and body oil to beat ABF

International drug lords are dreaming up ever sneakier ways to smuggle illicit substances like cocaine around the world. See the shocking discoveries.

From coconuts, coffee beans and bikinis to frozen chickens, body oil and hollowed-out pineapples.

International drug lords are dreaming up ever sneakier ways to smuggle illicit substances around the world — and under the noses of customs officers.

Drug cartels in South America have been caught shipping liquid cocaine inside all sorts of things, including coconuts and pineapples, to get it to Europe where smugglers remove the liquid and repackage it for distribution to other countries, including Australia.

A cocaine-stuffed pineapple shipped from Costa Rica to Europe in 2018. Picture: AFP/Spanish National Police

Law enforcement has made some extraordinary discoveries in recent months and the Australian Border Force (ABF) has reported seizing huge amounts of illicit drugs.

Last year, Colombian National Police identified 1486 methods of drug trafficking in ports and airports out of Colombia – the world’s biggest producer of cocaine.

Some hid the drugs in false-bottom suitcases, food, wigs, elastic bands, orthopaedic prosthetics, breast implants, fruit, wheelchairs, car tyres, religious icons and vet products.

Last week, Sydney man Mark De Hesselle, was sentenced to 13 years and seven months jail for smuggling about 552kg of cocaine from Brazil concealed in banana pulp.

A Sydney man has been sentenced to 13 years and seven months’ imprisonment for importing about 552kg of cocaine concealed in banana pulp. Picture: AFP

A recent Australian bust, which mirrored the television drama series Breaking Bad, revealed a drug smuggling syndicate trying to move large amounts of cocaine in frozen chickens from Melbourne to Sydney. Authorities seized 500kg of illicit drugs worth tens of millions in the chickens and in two related safe houses.

In another unusual seizure, ABF found cocaine embedded in the fibres of bikinis and ponchos. A 24-year man from Perth was charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs.

Bottles of a popular brand of body oil from Fiji were used to smuggle liquid meth amphetamine into Sydney and a Bangladeshi man, 24, was charged in October with drug trafficking offences.

Australian Border Force officers allegedly found liquid methamphetamine concealed in 17 body oil bottles in October 2022. Picture: ABF

In the past year, ABF officers found a massive 14 tonnes of illegal drugs including 9.4 tonnes of amphetamine-type stimulants and 2.7 tonnes of cocaine.

They also discovered 300kg of heroin, 900kg of precursor material (which is used to manufacture illicit drugs), 500kg of cannabis and 200kg of MDMA or ecstasy.

Among some of the biggest seizures was 130kg of cocaine which was seized from a cargo shipping container at Sydney’s Port Botany.

The container arrived in Sydney in May, 2022. It had left the Netherlands and transited through Panama before reaching Australia. On its arrival in Sydney, ABF officers X-rayed the shipping container and found anomalies. Four bags filled with blocks containing a white substance were discovered.

The blocks tested positive for cocaine at an estimated street value of $52 million.

In September, more than 200kg of illicit drugs were seized in Melbourne, concealed inside a shipment of coffee beans. ABF officers X-rayed the full container which had been sent as sea cargo, also from Panama. The illicit drugs had a combined estimated street value of more than $182 million.

About 550kg of cocaine with an estimated street value $440 million was discovered disguised as rat poison and insecticides in another shipping container that came from Panama via Switzerland. Four people were charged over their alleged roles in the importation of more than $155 million of illicit drugs.

In July, four West Australians were charged following an investigation into a transnational drug trafficking syndicate after 66kg of cocaine – worth about $23.7 million – was seized in Perth.

Operation Dommeldange was launched when ABF officers found the cocaine hidden in four car tyres imported from Switzerland.

The AFP has charged four West Australians during an investigation into a transnational drug trafficking syndicate after 66kg of cocaine – worth about $23.7 million – was hidden in four car tyres imported from Switzerland.

X-rays allegedly showed cocaine hidden in four car tyres.

ABF officers at the Perth cargo facility detected anomalies when they X-rayed the air cargo consignment and further examination of the Mercedes-Benz performance wheels uncovered packages of white powder stuffed in behind the rims.

In March, four Filipino men, who were crew members of an international bulk shipping carrier, were charged after 416kg of cocaine was found by ABF officers off the Yorke Peninsula.

It was the biggest haul of illicit drugs seized in South Australia, worth an estimated street value of more than $166 million dollars.

ABF Assistant Commissioner East Erin Dale said organised crime syndicates who import illicit drugs undermine Australia’s national security and economy.

“Australia continues to be targeted by criminal groups trying to smuggle illicit drugs into the country,” Assistant Commissioner Dale said.

“The large number of detections over this 12-month period are thanks to the hard work of ABF officers at the border and our relationships with law enforcement partners.

“Every day ABF officers use sophisticated methods to detect illicit drugs at the border. We will find it no matter how well these criminals think they are hiding it.”