Australian police seized a record 2.7 tonnes of cocaine hidden in plastic tubs buried underground on the outskirts of Sydney, detectives said on Monday.

It was the largest cocaine haul in Australian history, a joint organised crime investigation force said in a statement.

Police allege a Sydney-based organised crime group arranged for a foreign vessel to offload the cocaine in northern Queensland before moving it to Sydney for distribution.

“Investigations into the origin of the drugs remain ongoing, and we will work with our international and domestic law enforcement partners to identify the criminal syndicates,” Australian Federal Police Commander Stephen Jay said.

Police discovered the cocaine on Friday in plastic tubs buried in underground bunkers that were concealed by false floors, police said. It was hidden at the back of a property in Londonderry, a semirural northwestern suburb of Greater Sydney about 60km (40 miles) from the city centre.

The haul had an estimated street value of about A$816 million (US$571 million) and was equivalent to about 3 million “street level deals”, police said.