Massive 1.2 tonnes of MDMA seized in Sydney drug bust
Federal police have seized $145 million worth of crystal ecstasy in one of the biggest drug stops in Australian history.
The 1.2 tonnes of crystal MDMA was located at a storage facility in Hornsby, NSW on Thursday night with two Polish nationals to face court on Saturday.
The crystal substance, which equates to more than 4.1 million ecstasy tablets, was found concealed in aluminum rollers that arrived in Sydney from Europe on August 15.
A tip off led police to the storage unit with forensic testing now underway on the product.
A tip-off led police to a massive drug bust in NSW. Source: AFP
Two men, aged 28 and 29, now face life behind bars if found guilty of importing the drugs into Australia.
AFP Deputy Commissioner Operations Justine Saunders said this is Australia’s biggest drug bust for 2016 and the amount of crystal MDMA has an estimated street value of $145 million.
“This is the fourth largest seizure of MDMA in Australian history, and an important outcome for our community,” Deputy Commissioner Saunders said.
The massive drug haul. Source: AFP
“The size of this seizure and the amount of potential harm cannot be understated. It shows the lengths to which criminal syndicates will go to profit off the misery of others – while there is demand for illicit substances, criminals will attempt to supply it.
“We are resolute in our efforts to stop the supply in the interest of public safety. The ability of the Australian Federal Police and its partners to detect and disrupt criminal activity has never been stronger.”
Deputy Commissioner Saunders said further arrests are expected as the investigation continues.
The two Polish men are each facing one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug and one count of attempting to possess a border-controlled drug.
