ABF Officers seize number of military grade items allegedly destined for Russia from Eden Hills home

A southern Adelaide man has been questioned by Border Force officers after a raid on his home allegedly uncovered military-grade equipment bound for Russia.

An Adelaide man is being investigated by authorities after a raid on his home uncovered military-grade equipment believed to be bound for Russia.

It is understood the man, who name has not been released, was under surveillance by the Australian Border Force following several unsuccessful attempts to travel to Moscow during which he was “red-flagged” at airport immigration.

After further inquiries and monitoring, officers executed search warrants at a property in Eden Hills on the morning of September 10, seizing more than 30 items.

The items, which include a number of reconnaissance drones, a thermal camera, tactical equipment and note books are now subject to ongoing analysis.

Officers believe those items, and further electronic devices that were later seized, were destined for military end-use in Russia.

The ABF told The Advertiser two other people were also interviewed during the search. In footage provided by the ABF, officers are seen raiding the Eden Hills property, demanding that the residents let them in for a search.

Drones, tactical equipment seized in counter proliferation investigation Picture: ABF

A home in Eden Hill was searched earlier this month. Picture: ABF

“ABF. search warrant. Open the door,” one officer yells.

Officers are then seen entering the home before filling a van with items wrapped in evidence bags. No arrests have yet been made, with investigations continuing. over the matter at this time.

Nearby residents told The Advertiser they’d seen lots of people coming and going from the man’s home in the weeks leading up to the raid.

“It’s odd. There’s always lots of cars out the front, and I’ve seen people coming and going more frequently,” one neighbour said.

Another woman said she’d woken up to see officers executing the warrant.

“It was quite early in the morning,” she said.

“They were here before I woke up, and I don’t know how long they’d been here.

“We’ve never had any issues with the residents, just the generic neighbourly ‘hello’ to people here and there.”

A resident across the road from the house, which is near Flinders University, said he had often seen different cars arriving and parking in the front yard of the home but wasn’t aware it had been raided.

“It’s a really busy road, and it’s quite loud,” he said.

“We don’t know who lives there, but I’ve seen people getting there early in the morning.

“It’s a quiet area, other than the road traffic, and we never have any trouble. It’s so busy on the road that people would notice if there was anything suspicious going on, I think.”

Since 2014, Australia has imposed s sanctions against Russia in response to the threat of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Those sanctions were extended in 2015, 2022 and again in 2023 following the conflict in Ukraine.

Items seized by the ABF following an investigation into packages bound for Russia. Pictures: ABF

Items seized by the ABF following an investigation into packages bound for Russia. Pictures: ABF

Drones, tactical equipment seized in counter proliferation investigation. Picture: ABF

Superintendent James Ryan, of the ABF, said attempts to export any kind of weapon or military grade item to a sanctioned country posed a threat to Australia’s national security.

“People considering either the import or export of items that are subject to sanctions are warned that our officers are monitoring this kind of activity and will be taking swift action when it is uncovered,” he said.

In May, the Australian Border Force took The Advertiser behind the scenes, offering a rare glimpse into how they keep the South Australian community safe.

Officers said the community played a major role for the force, which often dealt with large shipments of illegal items such as drugs, vapes and even child exploitation material.

“Especially in regional areas, community members know what’s normal and what isn’t,” one officer said.

“We’ve had some big busts after getting tips from locals, and we need to keep building those connections to make sure people know we’re here to help, and we won’t stop protecting the border.”

Anyone with information about suspicious activity that may affect the security of Australia’s borders is urged to contact the ABF on 131 881.

Originally published as ABF Officers seize number of military grade items allegedly destined for Russia from Eden Hills home