Media Release
Operation Ironside: NSW man jailed over role in 498kg methamphetamine importation
A NSW man has been sentenced to 11 years and six months' imprisonment, with a non-parole period of six years and 11 months, for his role in a criminal syndicate responsible for importing 498kg of methamphetamine into Australia.
The man, 37, was sentenced in Sydney Central Local Court on 7 August, 2026, following an AFP investigation which linked him to the offending through intelligence obtained during Operation Ironside.
The AFP-led operation was a three-year investigation during which the AFP and FBI monitored criminals' communications through a dedicated encrypted communications platform, AN0M. The operation provided law enforcement unprecedented insight into organised crime networks operating in Australia and overseas. Further information about Operation Ironside can be found here.
The AFP and NSW Police Force conducted a joint investigation into a criminal syndicate involved in the importation of commercial quantities of illicit drugs and associated money laundering offences.
The investigation uncovered a methamphetamine importation venture involving drugs concealed within industrial machinery components. Investigators identified the attempted importation of almost half a tonne of methamphetamine and seized significant quantities of the drug before it could reach the Australian community.
Investigators alleged in court the man assisted the criminal syndicate's drug importation activities and dealt with significant amounts of criminal proceeds.
When AFP officers, with assistance from the NSW Police Force, arrested the man in June, 2021, they executed a search warrant at his residence and located more than $1.1 million in cash, a money-counting machine, and four encrypted AN0M devices. A subsequent AFP and NSW Police Force search warrant at a NSW property linked to the investigation also resulted in the seizure of approximately $4.9 million in cash concealed within a shed wall.
The man pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the importation of a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, relating to 498kg of methamphetamine, along with multiple proceeds of crime offences.
AFP Detective acting Superintendent Paul Watt said the AFP remained committed to targeting every level of organised crime.
"Operation Ironside provided investigators with an unparalleled view into the workings of sophisticated organised crime networks which believed they could operate beyond the reach of law enforcement," Det a/Supt Watt said.
"Working closely with the NSW Police Force and our other law enforcement partners, the AFP was able to disrupt a significant criminal syndicate and prevent a substantial quantity of methamphetamine from reaching the Australian community.
"The syndicate sought to profit from the importation of almost half a tonne of methamphetamine, a drug that causes immense harm to Australian individuals, families and communities.
"The AFP remains committed to disrupting organised crime networks and ensuring those responsible for serious offending are held accountable."
