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Australian who smuggled 50 pounds of cocaine inside printers get nine years behind bars — five devices intercepted by border forces had compressed powder stuffed in the paper trays

2026-05-15 | original

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Why This Matters

This case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat sophisticated drug smuggling operations that utilize everyday technology like printers to conceal illegal substances. It underscores the importance of vigilant border security measures in protecting communities from the dangers of illicit drugs. The sentencing demonstrates the seriousness with which authorities are tackling organized crime involved in drug trafficking.

Key Takeaways

Printers are being used to smuggle drugs, showcasing innovative concealment methods.
Australian authorities successfully intercepted and dismantled a major drug smuggling operation from 2017.
Law enforcement continues to prioritize border security to prevent illicit substances from entering the country.

A member of a crime syndicate that tried to smuggle cocaine inside printers has been sentenced to nine years behind bars, reports the Australian Federal Police. Australian Border Force (ABF) officers intercepted five printers in Melbourne in 2017 containing ten packages of cocaine that weighed a total of 22.4kg (roughly 50 pounds), concealed in the devices’ paper trays.

After discovering the haul of compressed white powder, the ABF set up a sting operation to catch the crime syndicate. They removed the drugs from the printers, replacing them with a material (of similar size/weight, we assume) and then tracked the consignment to a factory.

At the factory, law enforcement arrested four men who accessed the consignment, charging the quartet with “attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug,” the two agencies said.

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The sentencing just last Friday for a smuggling operation that was uncovered back in 2017 seems rather slow. But the unnamed man — now 47, and sentenced to nine years with a non-parole period of four and a half years — is just the latest of four involved in this case to be processed through the Australian courts.

The AFP report notes that the first of the quartet put into the dock was a man aged 45. On August 24, 2022, he was sent down for 10 years, with a non-parole period of six years and six months imposed. Then, on October 21, 2025, a 42-year-old man was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment with a non-parole period of five years and six months. Meanwhile, the fourth man charged managed to win a not-guilty judgment in court. All four men charged were from the southeastern state of Victoria.

“The ABF has its eyes firmly set on criminals importing illicit substances into the country,” ABF Commander Clinton Sims was quoted as saying. “Alongside our law enforcement partners, we will target criminal entities seeking to prey on our communities and ensure they have their day in court.”

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