Melbourne crime bosses allegedly involved in record SA cocaine bust

Two Melbourne men have been arrested for their alleged involvement in a $45m drug bust in South Australia capable of supplying nearly 700,000 street deals.

Two Victorian men have been arrested in Adelaide following the seizure of 139kg of cocaine hidden inside a shipment of luxury bus. Picture: Australian Federal Police

Melbourne organised crime bosses are suspected of being behind a huge shipment of cocaine found hidden in luxury buses in South Australia.

The 139kg haul, valued at $45m, was uncovered after a freight ship from Singapore was intercepted at Fremantle Harbour in Western Australia last month.

Australian Border Force secretly replaced the cocaine with another substance and the vessel was allowed to sail on to Adelaide.

It was there that the buses were unloaded under surveillance by Australian Federal Police officers attached to operation Silkwood.

A record 139kg of cocaine valued at $45m was seized in Adelaide Picture: NCA NewsWire via AFP

They were taken to a suburban car park on February 3 where two young Melbourne men from the northern suburbs are alleged to have unloaded the consignment.

Rayn Sadik, 19, and Yousif Al-Asadi, 22, are accused of breaking into the car park and removing what they thought was the cocaine.

They took it to a Port Adelaide hotel where they were arrested.

Their arrests have fuelled suspicions the cocaine was destined for sale in Victoria by senior members of a syndicate.

Police are investigating whether a gang with transnational links is involved.

AFP officers seized 139kg of cocaine hidden inside a shipment of luxury bus. Picture: Australian Federal Police

It was South Australia’s second-biggest cocaine bust and would have been enough to supply almost 700,000 street-level deals.

There was a major Adelaide cocaine case with suspected Melbourne connections in July last year.

Altona North man Troy Kellett plunged to his death while scaling a shipping container at Outer Harbour.

It is suspected he was looking for a drug consignment.

A key theory was that the 43-year-old was intending to bring a huge haul of cocaine back to Melbourne.

The Herald Sun last year revealed Mr Kellett had up to $8m poured into his bank account just two days before his death.

One of the Melbourne men arrested in Adelaide following the seizure of 139kg of cocaine in Adelaide. Picture: Australian Federal Police

While the price of cocaine in Australia has slowly dropped over time, it still remains at some of the highest prices across the globe.

The drug is believed to have run rampant in regional cities in the past two years, with one senior industry figure telling the Herald Sun it wasn’t just cashed-up socialites taking the gear anymore.

“There are more people being busted than ever,” he said.

But that was also due to the fact law enforcement were cracking down on the sale and movement of cocaine more than ever.