$275 million worth of ‘ice’ seized in Melbourne shipping containers, eight people arrested
Police have seized $275 million worth of the drug “ice” and arrested eight men in Victoria’s largest drug haul this year.
One Malaysian man and seven Australian citizens have been charged with drug offences, after about 275 kilograms of crystal methamphetamines was found under the floorboards of three shipping containers delivered to an industrial estate in Bayswater.
Police searched addresses in South Yarra, Braybrook, Bayswater, Brunswick, Box Hill and Glen Waverley, and arrested the eight men aged between 24 and 34 in connection with the illegal drug syndicate.
Three of the men were charged with commercial drug importation offences and the five others were charged with attempting to possess and trafficking a large commercial quantity of methylamphetamine, The Australian Federal Police have confirmed.
The maximum penalty is life imprisonment.
The arrests are the result of a four-month investigation Taskforce Blaze by the Victorian Joint Organised Crime Task Force, consisting of the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police, Australian Border Force, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and AUSTRAC.
The Australian Federal Police worked with Chinese authorities to investigate criminal syndicates trafficking ice to Australia and internationally.
Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Ian McCartney said police would be relentless in the pursuit of organised crime.
“The persistence and dedication of police and partner agencies has seen the interception and future destruction of more than two and a half million hits of this insidious drug,” Assistant Commissioner McCartney said.
Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Crime Command Stephen Fontana said the “ever increasing demand” for illicit substances meant the work of police was never done.
“As long as there is demand, there will be a market which in turn cannot be measured in the harm transferred through to our community, our families and our loved ones.
“Further addiction, road trauma, violent and volume crime, domestic violence, all of us, are affected by an insidious revolving cycle,” Assistant Commissioner Fontana said.
Investigations remain ongoing and further charges have not been ruled out, the taskforce confirmed.
