SYDNEY, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Australian authorities have charged three people in the city of Melbourne for allegedly importing 1.596 tons of the drug methamphetamine with a street value of around 1.197 billion Australian dollars (820 million U.S. dollars).
With a new record for the largest-ever onshore seizure of the illicit narcotic known locally as "ice," two men aged 37 and 38, along with a woman aged 37, were set to appear in court Thursday after search warrants were executed by Australian Federal Police (AFP) at numerous properties across the city Wednesday.
Discovered during a sea cargo inspection at the Melbourne Container Examination Facility in April, Australian Border Force (ABF) officers detected the massive haul in vacuum-sealed packages from Thailand which were concealed within stereo speakers.
With the find leading to a complex international intelligence investigation, AFP Deputy Commissioner Neil Gaughan said, "It will be alleged that two of the three suspects charged are trusted industry insiders, and that this joint operation has identified and removed serious vulnerabilities from the Melbourne waterfront."
"We could not have done this without the support and assistance of the public."
"In addition, under Taskforce Storm joint arrangements, the AFP has shared intelligence with Thai authorities on this matter in accordance with relevant guidelines, resulting in them conducting their own investigation, which is currently ongoing," Gaughan said.
On top of the staggering amount of "ice," authorities also discovered 37 kg of heroin.
The largest seizure of the drug since 2017, the value of the find is estimated to be in excess of 18.5 million Australian dollars (12.68 million U.S. dollars).
"Our officers are constantly alert to attempts to conceal illicit substances, no matter how creative criminal syndicates are in trying to hide them," ABF Assistant Commissioner Enforcement Command Sharon Huey said.
"In this case officers using x-ray technology detected anomalies inside the speakers, with the subsequent deconstruction of one allegedly revealing a number of vacuum sealed packages inside," he added.
"This is another example of the ABF and AFP working together to disrupt the criminal networks that seek to profit from the misery of others and to bring those responsible to account."
If found guilty of importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, the three alleged perpetrators could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment under Australian law.
