A second Gold Coast-based syndicate in less than a month has been raided by police as drug gangs continue to exploit flaws in airport security to smuggle tonnes of marijuana between Melbourne and Brisbane.


A joint police taskforce from Queensland, Victoria and NSW code-named Operation Kilo Zurich tracked more than 1.5 tonnes of cannabis taken on commercial flights departing from Tullamarine Airport over the past year.


Police allege that couriers made more than 40 trips between Melbourne and Brisbane airports, packing up to 25 kilograms of marijuana into suitcases. The gang also used domestic flights to Townsville and Coolangatta airports to transfer drugs.


As part of a joint operation on Tuesday, 21 people were charged with 42 offences while more than $1 million of drugs were seized in raids on 13 Queensland properties, two in Victoria and one in New South Wales.