Police will allege an interstate truck driver in South Australia was planning to use his status as an essential worker to transport more than a million dollars' worth of drugs around the country.
Detectives raided an address in Lipson Street, Port Adelaide, on Tuesday, allegedly seizing 160 kilograms of cannabis, 500 grams of cocaine and $20,000 cash.
Officers from the Serious and Organised Crime Branch and the Australian Federal Police arrested a 52-year-old Mount Compass man at the scene.
They arrested a 43-year-old man at another address in Urrbrae.
Officers then searched a property at Evanston Park in Adelaide's north, where they arrested a 37-year-old man and allegedly seized another $25,000 in cash.
All three men appeared in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on Wednesday afternoon charged with drug trafficking and money laundering.
Police alleged the value of the cannabis seized was about $1.325 million, while the cocaine was valued at about $175,000.
AFP Superintendent Gail McClure said the arrests showed that criminals should not think they could exploit the global health crisis.
"Criminal networks are constantly looking for ways to flout the laws for their own greed and profits and the COVID-19 border restrictions are no exception," she said.
"Police will allege an interstate truck driver was planning to use his status as an essential worker to transport drugs around the country.
"These arrests and seizures show that we are one step ahead and will continue disrupting criminal ventures and put people before the courts."
