Media Release
Sydney couple sentenced over failed methamphetamine import from Iran
This is a joint media release between the Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force
Editor’s note: Images of the seizure and arrest vision is available via Hightail
A Surry Hills couple were sentenced by Gosford District Court yesterday (19 June, 2026) for their roles in a failed 2023 importation of 13kg of pure methamphetamine, worth an estimated $12 million.
A man, 36, was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment with a non-parole period of seven years. A woman, 32, was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment with a non-parole period of six years.
An AFP investigation began in August, 2023, after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers examined a shipping container from Iran destined for Guildford, NSW.
During the targeted examination, ABF officers located 13kg of pure methamphetamine impregnated within five blue shipping pallets.
The impregnated pallets were removed from the container, and the remainder were delivered to a storage unit in the Sydney suburb of Waterloo the following month (September).
The court heard the couple used fraudulent consignee details and diverted the consignment to other locations on several occasions to try to evade law enforcement.
AFP officers executed search warrants in Surry Hills and Waterloo on 18 September, 2023, and seized a dedicated encrypted communications device and other mobile phones, pallets removed from the consignment, and a number of substances later confirmed to be illicit drugs.
The pair were charged and later found guilty on 2 October, 2025, of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border-controlled drug, namely methamphetamine, contrary to section 307.5(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
AFP Detective Acting Inspector Aaron Burgess said drug trafficking, and the follow-on criminal activity linked to it, harmed Australia’s economy and physical security, and the health of the community.
“Anyone involved in the importation of illicit drugs should know they are in the sights of the AFP and our partners, and we are working tirelessly to identify them and put them before the courts,” Det a/Insp Burgess said.
“Methamphetamine and other drugs have a devastating impact on individuals and our communities, which is why we are committed to prosecuting those responsible for importing it into Australia.
“The AFP will continue to defend Australia from drug trafficking and disrupt the criminals attempting to profit from their crimes.”
ABF Superintendent Jared Leighton said officers employed various detection capabilities to identify and stop illicit goods crossing the border.
“Criminal syndicates attempt creative concealment methods to bypass our officers’ scrutiny, and this case is no exception,” Supt Leighton said.
“Pallets, shipping containers, and boxes can all be manipulated by organised criminal networks to hide their illicit goods.
“With intelligence to provide risk-based targeting, ABF officers meticulously examine all elements of an import and any associated packaging materials.”
Note to media:
Media are encouraged to include help-seeking information in stories about illicit drugs to minimise any negative impact on people in the community. The following services provide people with access to support and information.
- For free and confidential advice about alcohol and other drug treatment services call the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015.
- Access free 24/7 drug and alcohol counselling online.
- For information about drug and alcohol addiction treatment or support, go to the Turning Point website.
