Aussie man, 21, is charged after almost $38million worth of pink cocaine was seized by police – amid warnings the drug is like a ‘bomb’ on the body

A 21-year-old man has been arrested after a package of ‘pink cocaine’ weighing more than 250kg was seized by Australian authorities.

The cocaine, with a street value of almost $38 million, is Australia’s biggest attack on the new type of drug, made up of a potentially deadly cocktail of illegal substances.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said an investigation has been launched into a transnational drug syndicate after the drugs were intercepted in October.

The 252kg cargo was packed with images of the Pink Panther cartoon character in air freight, marked as industrial and bound for the Sydney suburb.

The AFP carried out a controlled delivery last week, with the shipment arriving at an address in Castle Hill and reportedly approached by a 21-year-old Matraville man.

He was arrested shortly afterwards in Coogee and charged with attempted possession of a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border controlled drug, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

One Direction star Liam Payne, 31, reportedly had pink cocaine in his system when he plunged to his death from a balcony at the CasaSur hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in October.

Preliminary results of toxicology tests found traces of cocaine, benzodiazepines, crack cocaine and ‘pink cocaine’ in his system

The 252kg cargo was packed with images of the cartoon character Pink Panther (pictured) in air freight marked as industrial and bound for the Sydney suburb

The pink hue of the drug is made with food coloring and ironically, it usually does not contain cocaine.

Instead, it is a potent mix of several drugs, such as the veterinary tranquilizer ketamine, the stimulant and psychedelic MDMA, and amphetamines such as meth, although different recipes exist.

The drug is believed to have originated in Colombia and has also been found in Europe and the United States, where it often contains other drugs such as the dangerous opioid fentanyl.

The substance was also found in the system of American singer Camila Sterling, 24, who was found dead in a luxury hotel suite in Miami Beach last year.

And there have also been reports from Spain of teenagers dying as a result of pink cocaine, where police have described it as a ‘bomb’ because of its effect on the body.

AFP Acting Chief Inspector Stuart Millen warned Australians that the ‘dangerous illicit drug cocktail’ could put lives at risk.

“The investigation is ongoing with our international partners and we expect further arrests to follow,” he told reporters.

“We cannot emphasize enough the damage this import would have caused to the community had it not been intercepted by authorities before it reached our streets.

The shipment of the drug, which is actually a cocktail of several drugs, had a street value of approximately $38 million

The shipment of the drug, which is actually a cocktail of several drugs, had a street value of approximately $38 million

Liam Payne died with pink cocaine in his system

The hotel balcony in Buenos Aires where he fell

One Direction star Liam Payne died in October after falling from a balcony in a South American hotel. Preliminary toxicology reports indicate he had multiple drugs, including pink cocaine, in his system

‘The AFP is closely monitoring the increase in pink cocaine detections, both in Australia and globally.’

Acting Supt Millen said the AFP had examined more than 130 kilos of pink cocaine in Australia in 2024 and estimated it could sell for around $150,000 per kilo.

He said it was difficult to detect the presence of pink cocaine in wastewater because it usually consisted of other drugs and thus showed up as MDMA and ketamine.

The accused man was refused bail at Downing Center Local Court last Thursday and is expected to appear in court again in January.