Australia: +300 KG of Methamphetamine Seized in Sydney

On Wednesday, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Border Force released a joint statement indicating the confiscation of over 300 kg of methamphetamine in Sydney.

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According to the statement, the methamphetamine could have been sold as more than 3 million individual street deals and reached an estimated street value of over 273 million Australian dollars (about 180 million U.S. dollars).

According to the authorities, the drugs were concealed within a steel hydraulic press and later smuggled into the Australian state of New South Wales by a ship on April 18, thereby evading detection.

Engineering specialists identified a white substance located within the machinery after drilling into the nucleus of the hydraulic press. The authorities said that the machinery was disassembly to reveal a total of 79 circle-shaped blocks of methamphetamine and that, in an attempt to avoid detection, the blocks were placed in two lead-lined tubs.

"Methamphetamine causes immense harm. On average, 33 people were hospitalized each day in Australia for methamphetamine-related incidents in 2020-21," said AFP Detective Sergeant Salam Zreika.

Zreika also stated that the financial resources required for acquiring 300 kg of methamphetamine, along with devising a sophisticated concealment strategy, could only be attained by a proficient and well-established criminal organization.

The AFP is currently seeking information to identify the transnational criminal organization.