Wood Central can reveal that four Gold Coast men – including Peter John Edyvean, a website manager and cryptocurrency enthusiast, Anthony Iain Hart, German Muriel Prieto and Daniel Dominic Genco – have now been charged in connection with a case involving more than 100 kilograms of cocaine concealed in four tonnes of decoyed timber planks smuggled across the NSW-Queensland border.
That is according to a new report in News Limited mastheads, which revealed that the four men, three from Southport and one from Upper Coomera, had questions to answer in one of the country’s most sophisticated drug rings.
Wood Central understands that the timber was allegedly “soaped” in a solution of the drug, with up to ten tonnes of timber confiscated by NSW and Queensland police in Lismore, NSW and the Gold Coast in Queensland.
Last week, Wood Central reported that the discovery was made following a months‑long investigation by Strike Force Capulin, established by the NSW Drug and Firearms Squad in August 2025 after intelligence suggested timber planks had been chemically bonded with cocaine and were destined for extraction by an organised criminal group.
At the time, Police said the concealment method – where cocaine was chemically impregnated and then extracted from timber planks – is unusually sophisticated for an Australian operation, with investigators still examining where the tropical timber originated, how it was treated, and whether legitimate supply‑chain channels were exploited.
Detective Superintendent John Watson said the cross‑border operation was central to dismantling the alleged network. “Information flowed quickly, resources were shared, and the result is a major disruption to organised crime,” he said.
“Cross‑border crime requires cross‑border policing. This operation is a strong example of how collaboration delivers real results. Criminal groups continue to evolve their methods, and this attempt to conceal cocaine within timber products was highly calculated. Our teams were ready for it, and their action ensured drugs never made the streets.”
Meanwhile, Acting Detective Superintendent Brad Phelps said the coordinated effort allowed police to intervene before the drugs were extracted. “These actions resulted in disrupting this criminal activity and preventing a significant quantity of cocaine from making its way onto the streets and causing community harm.”
“This investigation highlights the lengths that organised criminal syndicates will go to in order to attempt to avoid detection by law enforcement agencies. This concealment methodology, of impregnating cocaine into timber planks, had not been detected in Queensland previously.”
- To read more about the sting, click here for Wood Central’s special feature from last week.
