Eight men have been sentenced in Australia to a combined 95 years and seven months in prison following an international investigation into an organised crime syndicate’s failed 2023 plot to traffic more than six tonnes of methamphetamine concealed in bottles of canola oil.

The total street value of the drugs was estimated at AU$1.7 billion.

The final syndicate member, a 27-year-old New South Wales man, was sentenced on 18 February 2026 in Coffs Harbour District Court to four years and six months’ imprisonment, with a non-parole period of two years and six months.

Operation Parkes

The investigation, known as Operation Parkes, was led by the Victorian Joint Organised Crime Taskforce, comprising:

  • Australian Federal Police
  • Victoria Police
  • Australian Border Force

The operation involved close cooperation with:

  • New South Wales Police
  • Royal Canadian Mounted Police
  • Canada Border Services Agency
  • New Zealand Police
  • New Zealand Customs Service

The syndicate attempted to import methamphetamine through four separate consignments from Canada to Australia and operated a clandestine drug laboratory in Melbourne.

Drug Seizures Across Three Countries

Canada

Canadian authorities seized:

  • About 200kg of crystal methamphetamine in December 2022, valued at AU$180 million
  • About 2900kg of liquid methamphetamine in January 2023, valued at AU$720 million
  • Two further shipments in May 2023:
    • 325kg valued at AU$81 million
    • 2900kg valued at AU$717 million

In total, more than six tonnes of liquid and crystal methamphetamine were seized in Canada. This quantity could have equated to almost 19 million street deals.

In the January 2023 consignment, authorities removed the drugs and replaced them with an inert substance before shipping the bottles to Melbourne under surveillance.

Australia

In March 2023, two Melbourne men, aged 41 and 34, collected the substituted shipment and transported it to storage locations using a logistics business.

They were arrested and charged in June 2023.

Further investigations identified two New South Wales men, aged 36 and 27, responsible for collecting, delivering, and storing portions of the shipment in Sydney. They were charged in February 2024.

Three additional Victorian men, aged 31, 28, and 22, were arrested in June 2023. They operated a clandestine laboratory in Melbourne, where investigators located:

  • Large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine
  • Drug manufacturing equipment
  • Significant cash
  • Two imitation firearms

New Zealand

In January 2023, New Zealand Police and Customs seized 713kg of crystal methamphetamine concealed in maple syrup containers. Six people were charged.

The AFP suspects those drugs were sourced from the same organised crime group attempting to smuggle methamphetamine into Australia.

Five New Zealand men have since received significant jail sentences under Operation Regis.

Sentences Imposed in Australia

The eight men convicted in Australia received the following sentences:

  • 27-year-old Hinchinbrook (NSW) man: 4 years and 6 months, non-parole 2 years and 6 months
  • 41-year-old Melbourne CBD man: 23 years, non-parole 11 years
  • 34-year-old Melbourne CBD man: 17 years and 6 months, non-parole 9 years and 10 months
  • 31-year-old Sunshine North man: 22 years and 6 months, non-parole 15 years and 9 months
  • 28-year-old United States national: 13 years, non-parole 7 years and 10 months
  • 22-year-old St Albans man: 6 years, non-parole 3 years
  • 36-year-old Canley Heights (NSW) man: 5 years and 3 months, non-parole 3 years
  • 54-year-old Melbourne CBD man: 3 years and 10 months, non-parole 2 years and 10 months

Law Enforcement Response

Australian Federal Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Raegan Stewart said large-scale drug importations threaten Australia’s national security and place pressure on health and financial systems.

Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Martin O’Brien described the seizure as a significant blow to organised crime and said the drugs would have contributed to road trauma, family violence, homicides, and other violent offending.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Acting Regional Commander Stephen Lee said the case demonstrated strong international policing cooperation.

Canada Border Services Agency Regional Director General Nina Patel described the investigation as part of a global effort to dismantle transnational organised crime networks.

New South Wales Police Detective Superintendent Peter Faux said criminal syndicates do not respect borders, and neither can law enforcement responses.

Australian Border Force Acting Commander Eleanor Grigg warned organised crime groups that border threats would be swiftly acted upon.

New Zealand Police Assistant Commissioner Corrie Parnell said the collaboration prevented significant harm to communities. New Zealand Customs Group Manager Terry Brown said the joint effort stopped billions of dollars’ worth of methamphetamine at the border.

Operation Parkes resulted in the disruption of a transnational organised crime network attempting to import industrial-scale quantities of methamphetamine into Australia and New Zealand.

The six-tonne seizure represents one of the most significant coordinated international drug interdictions involving Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

Webfit News Prospects:
This case highlights how deeply interconnected transnational crime networks are across the Asia-Pacific region.
Strong cross-border intelligence sharing will remain critical as organised crime groups continue to adapt their smuggling methods.