A joint investigation between the RCMP Federal Policing Pacific Region (FPPR), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) has resulted in arrests, charges and convictions of multiple individuals in Australia in connection with a major drug exportation operation.
This operation, which began in 2022, involved significant quantities of methamphetamine discovered hidden in jugs labeled as canola oil destined for export to Australia.
Between December 2022 to June 2023, CBSA seized five shipments containing liquid methamphetamine totalling over 2500 kgs concealed in canola oil containers destined for Australia. All the shipments used similar packaging of a particular brand of canola oil in 17.3 litre containers in boxes labelled as canola oil. An additional shipment contained crystal methamphetamine totalling over 204 kgs.
As a result of the coordinated efforts and expertise of our investigators, CBSA officers, and international counterparts, the AFP executed targeted enforcement, leading to multiple arrests across Victoria and New South Wales. As a result, eight individuals were charged and convicted with a number of drug-related offences with the final accused sentenced today (February 18, 2026) in Australia. Among those charged were seven Australian citizens and one American citizen.
This outcome marks a significant milestone in the ongoing investigation into an organized transnational crime network that has attempted to use our borders to traffic illicit drugs across jurisdictions.
