Three men have been charged after they allegedly drove into the Northern Territory from South Australia with 7.7kg of cannabis and 280g of methamphetamine, NT Police have said.

Detective Sergeant Michael Ordelman said Alice Springs Crime Investigation Branch and the Dog Operations Unit detectives had been conducting proactive patrols of remote and urban roads and caught the men.

He said the men were arrested early on Monday morning with what he alleged was 7.7kg of cannabis and 280g of methamphetamine.

A 39-year-old Alice Springs man, and a 37-year-old man from South Australia, have been remanded to appear in Alice Springs Local Court on October 21, Sgt Ordelman said, while a 24-year-old South Australian man has been remanded until Thursday.

He did not specify charges outside of saying they were arrested for supplying a commercial amount of the drugs.

Sgt Ordelman said all three were also fined for bypassing the COVID-19 border control point, but he did not give details about how they did that.