Three men have been charged after authorities uncovered a staggering 360kg of methamphetamine hidden inside mosaic tiles in a shipment from the Middle East.
The massive bust is estimated to have a street value of $333million.
Two men from Sydney, aged 39 and 56, were arrested in dramatic raids at Holroyd and Liverpool on Thursday morning.
Both have been charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, a federal offence that carries a maximum penalty of life behind bars.
The pair are due to face Parramatta Local Court on Friday.
A third man, a 39-year-old from Melbourne, was arrested earlier on 12 May and has already been refused bail.
His matter will return to Melbourne Magistrates Court on 29 October.
The massive bust followed a months-long investigation by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), triggered in April after Australian Border Force officers flagged a suspicious shipment of mosaic tiles.
The drugs were hidden inside 360 boxes of golden tiles, with a street value of $330million
Hidden within the tiles was methamphetamine placed into the material, a concealment method investigators described as ‘elaborate.’
In total, 360 boxes were found to contain the drug, with forensic analysis confirming the stash weighed about 360kg, one of the largest hauls of its kind in recent years.
AFP Acting Commander Peter Fogarty said authorities were ready to stop even the most sophisticated smuggling operations.
‘We regularly see elaborate or outside-the-box attempts to import harmful illicit drugs into Australia, but the AFP and our partners are ready and waiting to stop organised crime syndicates in their tracks,’ he said.
‘Methamphetamine causes immense harm to users and their families and make our communities less safe. On average, 38 people were hospitalised each day in Australia for methamphetamine-related incidents in 2022-23.’
The AFP carried out a controlled delivery of the consignment to a Chullora storage facility in Sydney’s southwest on 15 April.
Police allege the 56-year-old man, using an alias, arranged for the drugs to be collected and stored.
A second man, 39, allegedly helped coordinate the logistics.
The two Sydney men who were arrested were expecting to be paid around $50,000
Three men were arrested, two in Sydney and one from Melbourne over incident
The pair were reportedly expecting to be paid up to $50,000 for their involvement.
The drugs were then moved interstate to Clayton South in Melbourne on 22 April, with AFP officers tracking the shipment to a Donnybrook man they believe was the intended recipient.
A search of his home on 12 May allegedly uncovered electronic devices linking him directly to the plot.
ABF Commander Kari Ellis praised her officers’ expertise in catching out even the most sophisticated smuggling jobs.
‘The Australian Border Force is the first layer of protection to Australia’s border security, and criminal syndicates look to exploit any vulnerability they can find,’ she said.
‘Intelligence gathering and agency partnership are just one part of the plan to dismantle these transnational operations.
‘The ABF’s detection capabilities, along with x-ray technology and officer intuition, are world-leading, and we will continue to play our part in protecting the Australian community.’
