(LAWFUEL) – Two Adelaide men and a Singapore national have been charged in relation to the importation of more than 80 kilograms of crystal methylamphetamine (Ice) in Adelaide’s single largest methylamphetamine seizure.
A 34-year-old Parafield Gardens man, a 37-year-old man from Angle Park, and a Singapore national aged 49-years are due to face Adelaide Magistrates Court today.
Australian Federal Police agents and South Australia Police officers executed search warrants yesterday at addresses in Buckland Park, Croydon Park, Angle Park, Paralowie and Parafield Gardens, after monitoring the consignment of drugs from Sydney.
The men were arrested by AFP federal agents and South Australia Police officers after they allegedly accessed the consignment.
The operation began when Customs officers at Sydney’s Port Botany container examination facility detected the drugs in aluminium foil packages in 40 cartons of rubber gloves. The gloves were part of a shipment of plastic household items and eskies that arrived from China on 8 November.
Customs National Manager Cargo Operations North, Catherine Asbridge, said that Customs and other law enforcement agencies had again successfully worked together to defeat criminals attempting to smuggle a large quantity of potentially lethal drugs into Australia.
“This was a significant detection which could have caused untold harm within the community,” she said.
AFP Manager Adelaide Office, Detective Superintendent Sharon McTavish said this was the single largest seizure of methylamphetamine in South Australia.
“This represents a major disruption to the trafficking of illicit drugs into Australia, and has prevented in excess of $23 million of harm that would have been caused if these drugs had reached the streets,” Superintendent McTavish said.
Officer in Charge of South Australia Police Drug Investigation Branch, Detective Superintendent Linda Fellows said the investigation was an excellent example of law enforcement agencies working together to reduce the supply of illicit drugs.
“The seizure has potentially prevented a minimum of 800 000 street deals of this dangerous drug being distributed into the community,” Detective Superintendent Fellows said.
Three men were charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, contrary to section 307.5 of the Commonwealth Criminal Code Act 1995.
The maximum penalty for these offences is $825,000 and/or life imprisonment.
The Australian Federal Police, Customs and South Australia Police will hold a joint media conference at AFP Headquarters in Adelaide to discuss details of the arrests.
