THREE men have been charged after police found more than 500 kg of cocaine in a shipping container at an unnamed Sydney sea freight facility.

A multi-agency strike team, made up of investigators from the Australian Federal Police, New South Wales police and other law enforcement agencies, was set up to target so-called “trusted insiders” working in Sydney ports to aid a drug smuggling syndicate.

The investigators received intelligence that the group was planning to remove illegal drugs from a shipping container in Sydney that had come from Europe laden with legitimate cargo.

A man who worked as a forklift driver was observed moving shipping containers around to access a specific container at 0030 hrs on Sunday August 31, and a short while later police observed another man entering the container with a bag.

Police arrested the man and found a crowbar, angle grinder, ear protection, portable lights and other tools, which they allege would have been used to cut into a false wall at the rear of the container.

That false wall was removed, and 506 blocks of cocaine were found, amounting to 506 kg with an estimated street value of more than A$164m ($107m).

Both men were charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of cocaine and were transported to St George police station.

A search of the forklift operator’s home led to the arrest of a third individual, also a forklift driver at a logistics company, who was found in possession of $200,000 in cash suspected to be the proceeds of crime.

An investigation into the source of the drugs and other individuals involved in the smuggling plot are ongoing.

AFP Detective Superintendent Peter Fogarty said “transnational serious organised crime groups routinely seek to exploit vulnerabilities at Australia’s gateways to the world”.

“We will allege this syndicate was disciplined but was no match for the capabilities and tenacity of the strike team and its investigators.”