Australian Customs and Border Protection Service officers at the NSW Container Examination Facility intercepted a consignment marked furniture and another set of unmarked boxes. The consignment was found to contain MDMA and crystal methamphetamine.
In this connection, six men were charged by the Joint Organised Crime Group (JOCG) for their involvement in the attempted importation of three tonnes of MDMA and crystal methamphetamine (ice) into Sydney. The street value of the drugs seized is estimated to be around $1.5. Though the quantity of drugs seized is the second largest in recent past no name of any Sydney custom broker is mentioned.
The consignment with 2 tonnes of MDMA and 800kgs of methamphetamine was shipped to Australia from Germany. On the basis of the information gathered by the investigating team, police conducted a controlled delivery of the consignment to an address in Blacktown where its contents were removed and transported to another location. Six men were arrested when found accessing the boxes from the consignment at an address in Smithfield. All arrested men are Australian residents in the age group of 23 to 34.
According to Andrew Colvin, AFP Commissioner, agencies are working together harder than ever to stop drugs from entering our country. Working together as a part of the Joint Organised Crime Group, this seizure represents the second largest in Australian history and is worth up to $1.5 billion. Success of this also shows another success for law enforcement agencies in halting illicit drugs bound for Australia.
Charge raised against accused is that of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug. This charge can attract a possible penalty of life imprisonment. Law enforcement agencies coming together in The JOCG are the Australian Federal Police, the NSW Police Force, Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, NSW Crime Commission and the Australian Crime Commission.
