Missing cocaine shipment caused Sydney gang war and police AFP feud

A missing 400kg haul of cocaine which allegedly sparked Sydney‘s bloody gang war may have been seized by the Australian Federal Police, some NSW Police figures have claimed.

The $100million drug shipment belonged to the Comanchero bikie gang and vanished in 2020.  

Suspicions the cocaine was stolen by a rival criminal group allegedly led to a vicious underworld conflict which left more than a dozen dead.

But a number of NSW Police detectives believe the AFP intercepted the shipment, as it is common practice for the federal agency to confiscate and destroy drugs before making arrests.

‘Some investigators blame the feds for the missing importation, saying it never made it off the wharves,’ a former officer told the Daily Telegraph.

A 400kg haul of cocaine that touched down on Australian shores before it went missing may have been seized and destroyed by the AFP (stock image)

See also  Alex Rodriguez walks hand-in-hand with a mystery lady in Beverly Hills as he moves on from JLo

‘There was suspicion on the street everywhere and that ignited tensions between the [criminal] groups. There are some who firmly believe there was no theft and it was stuffed up by the federal agency.’

A senior officer said the AFP preference to immediately seize and destroy drugs caused problems for their state police counterparts.

‘The feds don’t care, they take the view that the drugs are off the street and they have saved lives and that’s that. We have to deal with the flow on. It’s not just a problem in NSW but other states as well,’ he said. 

But other NSW Police figures still believe the 400kg shipment made it past law enforcement and was then stolen from a Sydney warehouse.

Tensions then escalated when the Hamzy family was blamed for stealing the drugs, and allegedly sparked the war between them and the Alameddines.

A $100million drug shipment that belonged to the notorious Comanchero bikie gang vanished in 2020 – with some NSW Police officers believing the AFP may have confiscated it (stock image)

The police dispute over investigation methods is also behind an AFP complaint to US ambassador Caroline Kennedy which led to two American Drug Enforcement Administration agents being sent home.

Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw told the US embassy his officers were having problems with the DEA agents, the Daily Telegraph reported.

‘The DEA and the state cops have a similar view of thinking the long game where they substitute the drugs and try to follow it,’ a senior officer said.

‘Federal police are very quick to just seize the drugs. Problem with that is the syndicate just get another consignment in the works.’

The AFP told Daily Mail Australia it does not comment on current operational matters.