Foiled plot tried to sneak 49 lbs of cocaine into Australia via Xerox printers
Summary
Ars Technica reports four Australian men were sentenced after attempting to smuggle 22.4 kg (49.4 pounds) of cocaine into Australia using five Xerox printers. The operation, valued at around AUD 9–12 million, involved intercepting printers in Melbourne in 2017, deploying decoy substitutions, and tracking devices, with multiple sentences handed down through 2025. The piece places the case in a broader context of printer-based drug smuggling and cites similar incidents internationally.