Half a Billion in Cocaine Found Under False Floor

Australian police say they've uncovered the country's largest-ever cocaine haul, hidden under a false floor. Federal officers allege 2.7 metric tons of cocaine, worth an estimated $572 million, were found hidden in underground bunkers beneath shipping containers on a semi-rural property in Londonderry, northwest of Sydney, report the BBC and Guardian. Two men, 21 and 25, were arrested after allegedly trying to flee and have been charged with possessing a commercial quantity of an illegal drug; they face a possible life sentence and are next due in court on August 13.

The bust is part of Operation Minjiang, a multi-state probe that has now seized more than three tons of drugs. Police said Friday's haul "equates to about three million street level deals." They believe the cocaine was imported for an organized crime group near Midge Point, North Queensland, per Reuters. In May, police found about 90 pounds of cocaine in water near a boat ramp, as well as a burnt-out flatbed truck, leading to six arrests. They continue to investigate a suspected "mother vessel" detained in the Solomon Islands.