SYDNEY, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- About 2,000 liters of the illegal substance GBL headed for Australia's New South Wales state capital Sydney have been seized, with a 30-year-old man charged in one of the largest drug busts of its kind, authorities said on Friday.
The liquid, hidden in car-shampoo containers and with a street value of about 10 million Australian dollars (7.77 million U.S. dollars), was intercepted following a tip-off involving a shipping container arriving in the harbor city in early February, Australia's federal police and border force said in a joint media statement.
The drug GBL, commonly known as liquid ecstasy, fantasy, or "coma in a bottle," cause abrupt loss of consciousness, memory loss, respiratory difficulties and death.
"What people are actually ingesting is an industrial chemical solvent. The World Health Organization says it is the kind of substance commonly found in paint strippers, stain removers, and circuit board cleaners," Commander Chris Sheehan from the federal police said.
"This 'coma in a bottle' affects a person's consciousness -- predators have used it to enable rape. It is vital we continue to work with our partners at the border to stop any dangerous drug that can contribute to these sorts of crimes in our community."
The male suspect was arrested following a city-wide search and was due in court on Friday after being charged with one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled substance.
Investigations are ongoing and "further arrests have not been ruled out," the police and border force said.
