AFP seizes 336kg of heroin delivered to Port of Brisbane in global drug sting

A joint sting operation has intercepted the largest heroin shipment ever detected in Queensland, with an alleged key member of the syndicate due to face court this week.

An international drug smuggling sting has uncovered the largest shipment of heroin ever discovered in Queensland.

Inside an inconspicuous shipping container from Malaysia, marked as solar panel accessories, delivered to the Port of Brisbane on March 13, sat two 500kg concrete blocks.

Waiting for the container were officers from the AFP and Australian Border Force (ABF) who drilled into the blocks to discover bricks containing what they believed to be illicit substances, weighing a total of 336kg.

Tests were taken and returned the presumptive result for heroin.

The second largest heroin shipment ever detected in Australia inside a shipment sent from Malaysia to Brisbane. Picture: AFP

The heroin concealed in concrete slabs. Picture AFP

With the container destined for an industrial lot in Brendale, north of Brisbane, the agencies removed the 960 packages of heroin weighing 350g each, with an estimated street value of $268.8m and representing more than a third of Australia’s annual heroin consumption.

Authorities removed the heroin from the concrete for a controlled delivery to the intended recipient at Brendale last Tuesday.

Sinnadoria Asari, 55, arrives at an industrial shed in Mount Druitt under police surveillance.

It will be alleged a Sinnadoria Asari, 55, from Sydney collected the containers in a rented truck on March 29, which he then drove to an industrial shed in Mount Druitt on Thursday, March 30.

He returned to the shed on Friday morning and allegedly used industrial tools to cut into the concrete and access the heroin hidden inside the display stands.

AFP officers arrested Asari as he left the shed later that morning.

Australian Federal Police officers swarm on Asari.

AFP investigators then executed a series of search warrants at businesses and homes in NSW and Queensland, including at Brendale in Queensland and Mount Druitt, Blacktown, Auburn, Cecil Park and Constitution Hill in NSW.

Police seized jewellery worth an estimated $700,000 from Asari’s home as well as electronic devices.

Asari under arrest.

Items seized from other locations included mobile phones, cash, hard drives, notebooks and other parts of the reconstructed consignment.

Asari, who lives in Auburn, has been charged with one count of importing a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs, namely heroin, contrary to section 307.1(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth): and one count of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs, namely heroin, contrary to section 307.5(1) and subsection 11.5 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).

The concrete slab in which the heroin was concealed. Picture AFP

The maximum penalty for both offences is life imprisonment.

Asari faced Parramatta Local Court on Saturday and was remanded in custody to reappear on Wednesday, April 5.

The 336kg seizure is the second largest onshore detection of heroin in Australian law enforcement history.

The AFP and ABF seized 450kg of heroin in Melbourne in 2021.

The second largest heroin shipment ever detected in Australia after intercepting 336kg of the illicit drug inside a shipment sent from Malaysia to Brisbane. Picture AFP

AFP Commander John Tanti said removing so much heroin from Australian streets would save lives and deliver a crushing blow to the finances of organised criminals who were living large while law-abiding Australians struggled with the cost of living.

“This amount of heroin would cause untold damage in the community and increase the burden on our health system and social services, all in the name of greed for transnational organised crime,” she said.

“The alleged criminals behind this import in Australian and overseas are now more than $140 million out of pocket and an alleged key member of their syndicate is facing life imprisonment.”

Alleged proceeds of crime seized by Australian authorities from inside a shipment sent from Malaysia to Brisbane. Picture: AFP

Commander Tanti said the AFP worked closely with international and Commonwealth partners to fight drug trafficking.

“The AFP is uniquely placed to fight drug trafficking in our region due to our international network and close partnerships with overseas law enforcement agencies.

“The AFP is committed to stopping criminals using the Pacific as a maritime drug highway and will continue to identify and disrupt transnational organised crime syndicates seeking to harm Australia and generate millions of dollars of profits from criminal activity.”

Mike Pezzullo, Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, receives a briefing from Superintendent James Copeman in the Strategic Border Command Centre in Canberra. Picture: Ray Strange.

“The investigation is ongoing and further arrests can’t be ruled out.”

ABF Commander James Copeman praised the efforts of officers who detected the suspect consignment after it arrived at Port of Brisbane.

“The dedication and experience of our officers working at our state-of-the-art Container Examination Facility ensured that this massive shipment of heroin never stood a chance of hitting Australian streets,” Commander Copeman said.

“It is no exaggeration to say that untold harm has been prevented thanks to this detection. The very fact that this intercept represents about one third of the estimated annual consumption of heroin in Australia speaks to its significance.

“The ABF will continue to do all it can, together with its law enforcement partners, to ensure such illegal activity has zero success – and that criminals can expect to face the full legal consequences for these outrageous attempts.”

Originally published as AFP seizes 336kg of heroin delivered to Port of Brisbane in global drug sting