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Authorities have discovered 1.8 metric tons (2 U.S. tons) of methamphetamine hidden in marble tiles shipped from the Middle East to Sydney in what police describe because the largest-ever seizure of the illicit drug in Australia.
Three males had been arrested after 748 kilograms (1,649 kilos) of the drug had been discovered early this month hidden in 24 containers that arrived at Port Botany, officials said on Friday.
Another 1,060 kilograms (2,337 kilos) of meth had been discovered in 19 containers that arrived on the similar port final week. The medicine had been hidden in the identical methodology and had been all shipped from the United Arab Emirates.
New South Wales Police by way of AP
Police estimate the meth’s avenue worth at 1.6 billion Australian {dollars} ($1.1 billion), which displays the upper costs that Australians pay for illicit medicine than customers do in many comparable nations.
Police Detective Chief Supt. John Watson described the amount of meth as “staggering.”
“This seizure will be felt for weeks to come by many high-, mid- and lower-level suppliers,” Watson stated.
No additional arrests have been made since final week’s seizure. Investigators have turned their consideration to figuring out the abroad suppliers.
“The Middle Eastern region is probably our main focus,” Watson stated. “But I certainly wouldn’t restrict our investigation to just that region.”
All the containers had been destined to be despatched to a manufacturing unit in western Sydney that had been set as much as rapidly extract meth from marble, Watson stated. Police have no idea how usually the manufacturing unit had been used.
The three males already arrested – aged 24, 26 and 34 – face potential life sentences in jail if convicted of drug trafficking. They have appeared in courtroom and have been refused bail.
“The audacity of these individuals to think they could import such vast quantities of harmful drugs into Australia is astounding,” Australian Border Force Assistant Commissioner Erin Dale stated. “Let’s be clear: this is the largest seizure of methylamphetamine at the Australian border and therefore a massive blow to organized criminals.”
Australia’s earlier record meth haul was 1.6 metric tons (1.8 U.S. tons) hidden in audio system and shipped into Melbourne from Bangkok in April 2019. Three Melbourne residents had been charged with drug offenses.
The discovery marks the newest in a string of large-scale meth seizures throughout the globe.
Earlier this month, Mexican troopers seized nearly 1.5 tons of meth and 328 kilos of obvious powdered fentanyl at a checkpoint in the northern state of Sonora.
Last month, greater than 5,000 kilos of meth was discovered in a record-breaking seizure in Southern California.
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