Australian police seize $900 million in methylamphetamine

Four people have been charged over the importation and manufacturing of 720 litres of methylamphetamine.

During the peration the AFP worked also with Chinese authorities through Taskforce Blaze, which investigates criminal syndicates trafficking ice to Australia and internationally.

The £620m (A$1.26bn) stash was smuggled from China and had been hidden in bottles of glue and inside gel bra inserts.

The haul was biggest in Australia since 2014, when police seized around $1.5 billion in ecstasy and methamphetamines imported from Europe.

The liquid could have made about 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) of high-grade crystal meth, Australian Federal Police Commander Chris Sheehan said.

Australian Justice Minister Michael Keenan said crime gangs had sought to profit from Australia’s “lucrative ice market”.

“This has resulted in 3.6 million individual hits of ice being taken off our streets with a street value of $1.26 billion”.

An additional 530 litres of liquid methamphetamine were found during the investigation by joint organised crime investigators.

Around 190 litres of the liquid methylamphetamine, concealed inside thousands of gel bra inserts, was discovered last month when Australian law enforcers examined a consignment that arrived from Hong Kong on the Boxing Day past year, according to Australian police.

A 37-year-old male Hong Kong national and a 52-year-old female Hong Kong national were arrested at Campsie.

Mr Keenan said offenders could face life imprisonment over such a large quantity of drugs.

“Methylamphetamine poses – by far – the greatest threat to the Australian public of all illicit drug types, and by a significant margin”, he said.