Sydney pays the price of its place as the nation’s cocaine capital

July 6, 2026 — 5:10am

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Sydney’s regrettable achievement as the nation’s cocaine capital is in little danger as the Australian Federal Police warn that production of the drug is poised to hit all-time highs as cartels genetically modify the coca plant to produce more crops annually and extract more cocaine.

The AFP made the prediction as United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s latest World Drug Report revealed cocaine production had quadrupled over the decade to 2024. The report notes this is largely driven by increases in productivity and the area under cultivation. In 2014, dealers manufactured 869 tonnes of cocaine from 132,000 hectares of coca bush. By 2024, an........

© The Sydney Morning Herald