Three Victorian men charged after allegedly attempting to smuggle 42kg of illicit drugs into Australia

Three Victorian men are expected to appear in the NSW Local Court after allegedly attempting to smuggle more than 42kg of illicit drugs concealed inside their luggage on board an international flight into Australia.  

Australian Border Force (ABF) officers intercepted the men and conducted an x-ray examination of their luggage upon the group’s arrival from Thailand into Sydney Airport on the 23 January, 2026.  

ABF officers searched the suitcases and allegedly located dozens of individual shrink-wrapped bricks that contained a white substance.  

ABF presumptive testing returned a positive result for methamphetamine and heroin, with an estimated weight of 34kg of heroin and 8kg of methamphetamine detected.  

This amount of heroin, had it reached the Australian community, had an estimated street value of about $17 million, with the potential for about 170,000 street-level deals. While the methamphetamine had an estimated street value of $7.4 million, with the potential for about 80,000 street-level deals.  

The matter was referred to the AFP for investigation.