23kg Port Pirie cocaine haul was bound for the streets of Adelaide and Melbourne

One of SA’s largest cocaine hauls – worth $8m – was set to be sold on the streets of Adelaide and Melbourne before it was found aboard a foreign cargo ship in Port Pirie.

One of the state’s biggest drug hauls was bound for the streets of Adelaide and Melbourne before authorities swooped on the shipment, which has dwarfed previous busts.

State and federal police this week seized 23kg of cocaine with a street value of more than $8m after raiding a cargo ship that had docked at Port Pirie.

As detectives investigate who was behind one of the state’s largest cocaine hauls, underworld sources have revealed the shipment was going to be split between Victorian and local dealers.

Senior police believe the “very significant seizure” will decimate SA’s rising coke demand.

Data from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission has shown cocaine use in South Australia has reached its highest levels since 2019 – fuelled by a flood of the drug out of South America.

On Monday, sailors on a ship docked at Port Pirie reported finding suspicious packages onboard.

Police were called and located 23kg of cocaine packaged in 1kg bricks. Police said the packages had a value of more than $8m.

On Wednesday, Officer in Charge of Serious and Organised Crime Branch, Detective Superintendent Billy Thompson said the ship’s destination had been Port Pirie and it was understood that’s where the drugs were destined to arrive.

“Twenty-three kilos is a very significant amount of cocaine to be discovered in SA,” Superintendent Thompson said.

The cocaine was found in 1kg bricks. Picture: SA Police

The drugs had a street value of more than $8m. Picture: SA Police

Police were unable to disclose the previous ports where the ship had docked or in which country the ship was registered.

Shipping records show three cargo ships entered Port Pirie flying under the flags of the Bahamas, Liberia and Panama in the days before the bust.

One of the ships had recently arrived in Australian waters after leaving a Malaysian port.

It is unclear whether any of the bulk carriers were the location for the seizure of the drugs.

Cocaine is made from the leaves of the coca plant, which is native to South America.

Unlike other drugs, such as methamphetamine, ecstasy and cannabis, cocaine cannot be produced in Australia.

As a result, the importation of the popular drug is a massive part of the international drug trade with many shipments arriving in Australia from South America via South East Asia.

Thousands of messages sent and received from the AN0M app showed international organised crime syndicates had multiple methods for getting the cocaine to Australia, including mid-ocean handovers and disguising the drug in diplomatic pouches.

Police are continuing to investigate the Port Pirie haul, though no arrests have been made.

Originally published as 23kg Port Pirie cocaine haul was bound for the streets of Adelaide and Melbourne